Myanmar implements new hydropower project in new capital

YANGON, March 21 -- Myanmar is implementing a new hydropower

project, Nancho, near the new capital of Nay Pyi Taw as part of its bid to add

more electricity to the country, sources with the Electric Power Department said

on Saturday.

The project, lying 25.6 kilometers east of Nay Pyi Taw, is targeted to

complete by the year 2010, the sources said.

The Nancho power plant, equipped with two 20-megawatt turbines, can

generate electricity of 152 million kilowatt-hours yearly after completion, the

sources added.

According to the Myanmar authorities, since Myanmar worked out a series of

state-level special projects which also include hydropower ones for

implementation, six has been completed and 22 others are underway.

With installed capacity of a total of 442 megawatts (mw), the six completed

hydropower projects up to 2008 are Zawgyi-2, Zaungtu, Thaphanseik, Monechaung,

Paunglaung and Yenwe.

The 22 ongoing projects will add a total 16,599 mw more to the country's

electric power installed capacity on completion, the department said earlier,

adding that 15 more hydropower projects are being planned in addition.

The 15 hydropower projects with an installed capacity ranging from 48 mw to

2,800 mw, lie in seven divisions and states.

Of the projects, seven are located in the northernmost Kachin state, six of

which range over 1,200 mw, the report said, adding that the rest of the projects

are scattered in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway and Bago divisions, and Rakhine and

northern Shan states.

The 15 projects on completion in the future will add another 13,847 mw to

the country's installed capacity.

Meanwhile, Myanmar claimed in its monthly statistical report that the

country's electric power installed capacity reached a total of over 1,684 mw as

of the end of 2008 and the power generated stood 6.603 billion kwh in 2007-08,

up from 6.164 billion kwh in 2006-07.