Myanmar’s military junta, which came to power in a coup in February 2021 and has since had to deal with a rapidly deteriorating economy, is now trying to attract investors to invest in hydropower in the country, which is sanctioned by most Western nations.
On July 5, the military junta simultaneously launched a nationwide tender for six hydropower projects in a bid to expand the field, which has long been criticized by the public and civil society for environmental degradation, land grabbing and armed conflict. myanmar now.
According to Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, the two planned new hydropower plants will be located in northern Kachin State, two in eastern Shan State and another in eastern Kayah State — believed to be the largest of the six projects — and one in the central Mandalay area.
mostly smaller dams
The deadline for investors to bid is Nov. 18, according to the junta’s announcement, which did not detail the exact location of the project or how many megawatts of power the proposed dam is expected to generate.
It is understood that most of the planned dams are small dams with a maximum output of only 25 megawatts, while the dams in Kayah state are designed to generate about 240 megawatts.
‘Now is not a good time to invest’
However, international interest in these projects is expected to wane.
Civil rights groups in Myanmar oppose foreign participation. Among them, the Shan Human Rights Foundation called on international backers not to bid for or withdraw from any such projects, saying “now is not the right time to invest in the country”.
The foundation also reported that dam workers in some areas had joined anti-coup protests and disobedience movements.
Community opposes dam project
In addition, local communities near dams in Myanmar have long opposed environmental degradation, land grabbing, militarization, human rights abuses, and general displacement resulting from the implementation of dam projects, but they have never been meaningfully consulted about them.
However, some Chinese companies are reportedly interested in investing in Myanmar’s hydropower sector. A Chinese company had previously partnered on the dam project with the Htoo Group of Companies owned by Myanmar business tycoon Tay Za, which is said to have close ties to the military government.
According to the Ministry of Electricity, Myanmar has more than 100 GW of hydropower potential. At present, there are 27 hydropower stations in the country with a total installed capacity of 3,221 MW.
The greatest potential is found in Kayin, Shan and Kayah states, where the Salween is the main source of hydropower.
Yewa Hydropower Station in Mandalay Region Myanmar’s military junta, which came to power in a coup in February 2021 and has since had to deal with a rapidly deteriorating economy, is now trying to attract investors to invest in hydropower in the country, which is sanctioned by most Western nations. On July 5, the military government simultaneously launched a nationwide tender for six hydropower projects in an attempt to expand the field, which has long been criticized by the public and civil society for environmental degradation, land grabbing and armed conflict, . ..
Myanmar’s military junta, which came to power in a coup in February 2021 and has since had to deal with a rapidly deteriorating economy, is now trying to attract investors to invest in hydropower in the country, which is sanctioned by most Western nations.
On July 5, the military junta simultaneously launched a nationwide tender for six hydropower projects in a bid to expand the field, which has long been criticized by the public and civil society for environmental degradation, land grabbing and armed conflict. myanmar now.
According to Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy, the two planned new hydropower plants will be located in northern Kachin State, two in eastern Shan State and another in eastern Kayah State — believed to be the largest of the six projects — and one in the central Mandalay area.
mostly smaller dams
The deadline for investors to bid is Nov. 18, according to the junta’s announcement, which did not detail the exact location of the project or how many megawatts of power the proposed dam is expected to generate.
It is understood that most of the planned dams are small dams with a maximum output of only 25 megawatts, while the dams in Kayah state are designed to generate about 240 megawatts.
‘Now is not a good time to invest’
However, international interest in these projects is expected to wane.
Civil rights groups in Myanmar oppose foreign participation. Among them, the Shan Human Rights Foundation called on international backers not to bid for or withdraw from any such projects, saying “now is not the right time to invest in the country”.
The foundation also reported that dam workers in some areas had joined anti-coup protests and disobedience movements.
Community opposes dam project
In addition, local communities near dams in Myanmar have long opposed environmental degradation, land grabbing, militarization, human rights abuses, and general displacement resulting from the implementation of dam projects, but they have never been meaningfully consulted about them.
However, some Chinese companies are reportedly interested in investing in Myanmar’s hydropower sector. A Chinese company had previously partnered on the dam project with the Htoo Group of Companies owned by Myanmar business tycoon Tay Za, which is said to have close ties to the military government.
According to the Ministry of Electricity, Myanmar has more than 100 GW of hydropower potential. At present, there are 27 hydropower stations in the country with a total installed capacity of 3,221 MW.
The greatest potential is found in Kayin, Shan and Kayah states, where the Salween is the main source of hydropower.
