Hydropower plant opens in Kachin State

The Tarpein-1 Hydropower Plant, one of 18 hydropower projects built or under construction in Kachin State, opened on Sunday, according to state-run newspapers.

Work on the Tarpein-1 Hydropower Plant in Momauk was begun in December 2007 in partnership with a Chinese company, Datang (Yunnan) United Hydropower Developing Co., Ltd. and the Ministry of Electric Power No. 1.

The plant can generate 1,065 million KW hours a year. According to the development index of Burma that was compiled by the World Bank in 2010, the average Burmese uses 94 kilowatts of electricity per year. Burma is ranked ninth among southeast Asian countries.

Burma has a total of 31 power plants. Fifteen are hydropower plants, one is a coal-fired power plant and 15 are gas-fired power plants. They can generate a total of 3,045 Megawatts a year, according to Burmese officials.

The 18 hydropower projects in Kachin State are Myitsone, Chiphwe, Wusauk, Khaunglanphu, Yeenan, Phizaw, Lazar, Chipwenge, Htarkh, Gawlan, Wukyonejie, Khankan, Htoneshinchaung, Laungdin, Tarpein (1), Tarpein(2), Namtabet (1) and Namtabet (2), with a total capacity of 20,760 Megawatts.

The projects have been implemented in partnership of the Ministry of Electric Power No. 1 and three Chinese companies: Datang (Yunnan) United Hydropower Developing Co., Ltd., China Power Investment Corporation and Yunnan Power Investment Corporation.

The amount of electricity demand in Burma is 1,555.25 Megawatts, according to the Ministry of Energy.