Myanmar Developing 4 GW of RLNG Power Capacity

Myanmar is building 4 GW of regasified LNG-based (RLNG) power capacity, amid challenges faced by hydro and domestic gas-based power plants, country’s energy minister said in a video message on October 7 ahead of the Japan Producer-Consumer Conference 2020.

U Win Khaing, Myanmar’s minister of electricity and energy said that the power demand has been rising owing to the government’s drive to fully electrify the country by 2030. He stated that decision to import LNG for power generation was taken in 2018 because of falling water reservoirs and declining domestic gas production. Myanmar's generation mix has traditionally been roughly 50% hydro power and 50% domestic natural gas.

The southeast Asian nation had planned to start its first RLNG-based power plant in Yangon in April but the commissioning was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The plant finally became fully operational in September, the minister said.

A government task force had decided in January 2018 to build three new RLNG-to-power plants with 3 GW of capacity by 2023. Later the task force decided that six plants with total installed capacity of 4 GW would be built, the minister said.

Earlier this year, Japan’s Marubeni Corporation, with Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsui, and Eden Group, was granted permission to develop a 1.25 GW RLNG-fired power plant in the Thilawa region of Myanmar.

Malaysian state-run Petronas said in June it has begun deliveries of LNG to Myanmar, with two cargoes delivered in May and June 2020.  Petronas said it is also in talks with CNTIC VPower on further deliveries.