Myanmar looks short term to gas

21 March 2015
Myanmar looks short term to gas
Short term, gas is Myanmar's easiest option. Photo: charltonsmyanmar.com

While Myanmar has one of the lowest rates of electrification in Southeast Asia, it also has abundant reserves of untapped gas, giving wide scope for the expansion of gas-fired power in the country, according to a report by Natural Gas Daily on March 20.
Only about 30 percent of Myanmar households have regular access to electricity, of which around 30 percent is fuelled by gas – with an installed capacity of 1.33 GW, according to figures from Myanmar’s Ministry of Electric Power.
Although Myanmar has typically relied on hydroelectricity for the bulk of its power needs, hydro plants often operate well below their installed capacity of 3.01 GW during the dry season, which runs from October to May.