Myanmar parliament approved to get 171.27 million U.S. dollars of loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the projects on promoting rural electrification on Monday.
"The loans will be used to get more electricity in Kayin state, Ayeyarwady and Magway regions, to covert 66KV power system for 1,535 villages to get electricity in the eastern part of Bago region and to build 66KV transmission lines and substations in Tanintharyi region, Chin and Rakhine states," deputy minister of Ministry of Electricity and Energy U Khin Maung Win said at the meeting.
"These projects will be completed in the fiscal year (FY) 2021-2022. Upon completion of those projects, about 400,300 households will get electricity and the electricity unit will increase 160 million to 290 million units per year with an annual income from 19 billion to 34 billion kyats (15 million to 25 million U.S. dollars)," he said.
"At present, 28 hydropower plants are generating 3,225 MW, 120 MW from a coal plant and 40 MW from a solar power plant in the country. Due to insufficient power with hydropower, 16 natural gas power stations have been installed to generate 3,341 MW," the deputy minister explained.
As the country sees an annual 15 percent growth of electricity consumption, processes are being implemented to generate 900 MW from three liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power plants to meet the demands, he added.