Energy 2014

2Yangon 45%

Mandalay 16%

Other 39%

A composite image assembled from data acquired by the Suomi NPP satellite in April and October 2012 shows Myanmar and surrounding countries at night. Photo: NASA Earth Observatory/NOAA NGDC

The grid the developing choice13% Percentage of population on national grid in 20131

7% Percentage of villages on the grid (4550 of 65,000)1

25% lectricity generated that is lost in transmission and distribution due to outdated and limited voltage power transmission capacity of existing networks1

8.5% Planned growth per year of the national electricity grid, according to national targets1

$595 Estimated cost per household of national grid connection1

2012 Installation of nations first digital electricity meters, in Nay Pyi Taws Lewe township2

2.45m Analogue electricity meters in Myanmar, August 20122

Hydroelectricity the long-term choice

3Demonstrators arrange candles into a map of the country around a note saying "Give the whole nation of Myanmar electricity", on May 23, 2012. Photo: Ko Taik

SOURCES1. Accelerating Energy Access For All In Myanmar, United Nations Development

Programme, 2013. Online: http://www.mm.undp.org/content/myanmar/en/home/library/environment_energy/publication_1/

2. The Myanmar Times. Online: http://www.mmtimes.com3. http://www.slideshare.net/VikasSharma128/myanmar-electricity-industrydec20134. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Myanmar_2013.pdf5. http://www.kpmg.com/MM/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/

Infrastructure-in-Myanmar-update-29Oct.pdf6. Electrical Industry of Burma/Myanmar: Online Compendium, 4th edition, April 2012.

Online http://en.convdocs.org/docs/index-18543.html?page=1677. http://www.dvb.no/news/pttep-plans-us3-3-billion-oil-and-gas-investment-in-burma-

burma-myanmar/377748. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-10/20/content_17046790.htm9. http://dupress.com/articles/asia-pacific-economic-outlook-february-2014-myanmar10. http://countingpips.com/forex-news/2014/02/myanmars-untouched-natural-gas-

reserves/Photos: Staff, except where noted; 11 AFP

Oil the crude choice 1853 Date Burma exported its first barrel of oil, making it among the

worlds oldest oil exporters4

53 Onshore blocks in Myanmar1

52 Offshore blocks in Myanmar1

50m Barrels of known reserves9

Coal the dirtier short-term choice692,000 Tonnes of coal produced in 2011, 52% used by industry1

Natural gas the cleaner short-term choice95% Nations natural gas production happening at Yadana and Yetagun,

with nearly all being sent to Thailand

$106b Value of known reserves of 20 trillion cubic feet at current prices10

$424b Value of speculated reserves of 80tcf at current prices10

Nuclear the abandoned choice2007 Agreement with Russia to build nuclear research reactor near

Yangon1

2011 [The program] stopped because it did not have sufficient resources and worried that the international community would

misunderstand. - Minister for Science and Technology U Aye Myint,

to Pyithu Hluttaw, September 232

Off-grid the alternative choice70% Households in Myanmar dependant on diesel lamps, batteries and

candles for lighting1

$9-12 Average household monthly spending on candles and batteries, out of an average monthly income of $401

1 Months before solar-powered lanterns and torches pay for themselves1

$70-$450 Cost of mini hydro facility to power 50-100 off-grid homes1

80% Percentage of the estimated 1200 biogas facilities nationwide which are no longer in operation1

$2000 Cost of community biogas facility to support 300 houses1

Foreign investment the necessary choice$1b World Banks planned investment in Myanmars power sector2

$3.3b 5-year investment, equalling 20% of total expenditure, by Thailand's PTTEP, which provides 27% of Thailand's energy7

100 times Growth projected in industrial power consumption for 2014 in Guanxi, one of 3 provinces in China fed by new 2520km Shwe pipeline

from Myanmar8

22m Tonnes of crude oil heading to China annually via Shwe pipeline, over 10 times the amount staying in Myanmar8 11

4Soe Myint [email protected]

Drilling for oil is a part of Myanmar's heritage. People have searched for oil here and used it as either a preservative or a lubricant since at least the reign of King Min Khwe Chay in Bagan during the 11th century.

Until the early 19th century, drilling rights passed down between 24 twinzayo 18 men and 6 women who formed a hereditary monopoly controlling the principal oil-bearing area near Yenangyaung in Magwe Region.

But following the establishment of the Burmah Oil Company, a UK company, in 1886, more than a dozen Anglo-Indian, Chinese and Indian companies followed suit. Together, these foreign companies took production away from local control, but also launched a flourishing modern petroleum industry that powered the British empire.

In 1954, the then-government became a 33-percent shareholder in the BOC (1954) Co Ltd; in 1961 it acquired a 51pc share; and on January 1, 1963, it bought out the BOCs remaining local assets for K62.5 million. The oil industry became a national heritage industry once more, staffed with and run by Myanmar nationals under the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

During its heyday from 1963 until 1985-86, the MOGE expanded on the BOC's legacy, employing as many as 15 geological field parties, 4 gravity-magnetic survey parties, 3 seismic survey parties and 45 drilling outfits in the quest to discover new energy sources beneath the nations feet.

Natural gas in the mixNew discoveries followed: Mann, Htaukshabin/Kanni, Thargyitaung and Kyaykkwet/Letpando in central Myanmar; Pyay, Myanaung and Shwepyitahr; and Payagon, Nyaungdon and Aphyauk in the delta.

Production reached heights of 32,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in 1985, as well as 180 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas in 1998.

But afterward onshore production began to dwindle, with yields measuring only 6000bpd of oil and 60mmcfd of natural gas. The nation needed to look offshore.

In the early 1970s, Myanmar invited foreign companies to conduct offshore petroleum exploration and production (E & P).

The bid was unsuccessful, so in the 1980s Myanmar went offshore itself. Funded by a loan from Japan, the endeavour led to the 1983 find of the Yadana natural gas field.

At first, low initial gas reserves estimates of 2.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and changes in government policy retarded the development of Yadana by the MOGE.

But in the early 1990s Myanmar again invited foreign companies for E & P both on- and offshore. Offshore discoveries were made of natural gas at Yadana by Total Myanmar E & P, and at Yetagun by Texaco/Premier.

Onshore efforts were less successful. A round of petroleum E & P in the early 2000s, however, was another huge success, with finds in the Shwe gas field by Daewoo, the Zawtika gas field by PTT and the Aung Thein Kha gas field by PTT in 2011 (first yields expected by early 2018).

Current prospectsRecent calls for on- and offshore E & P saw an influx of international interest, from the USA, Canada, Australia and European nations among others.

For onshore, 18 contracts are to be signed with 10 companies, in addition to the existing 11 contracts.

For offshore, in addition to 12 contracts for producing gas fields and E & P blocks, several deepwater and shallow-water blocks are to be awarded soon.

Opportunities for local companies to become E & P players are now wide open.

The government allows partnerships with foreign companies for onshore and offshore shallow-water blocks, and is not restricting the balance of shares between local and foreign parties.

This unprecedented opportunity will allow a few lucky local companies of the more than 160 to carry on Myanmar's national heritage of oil operations, just as the twinzaya families did in the olden days.

The future of offshoreMyanmar already has three gas fields producing offshore. The Yadana gas field has reserves of gas-in-place 6.5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and Total is pursuing the eastern part of the field. But Yadana is already halfway through its lifespan, having been producing since 1998.

Exploration is underway in the satellite areas of the Yetagun gas field, with gas-in-place reserves of 3.2tcf. Yetagun started its gas export in 2000 and is almost halfway through its field life.

The Shwe gas field, with gas-in-place reserves of 4.5tcf, started commercial gas production in June 2012. The contracted Daily Contract Quantity is 500mmcfd but is still ramping up, producing 200mmcfd.

Myanmar is siphoning about 200 mmcfd from Yadana for domestic use and will be taking 100mmcfd when Shwe starts producing 500mmcfd.

Yetagun does not have an obligation to supply to the domestic market, according to the Export Sales Gas Agreement.

Zawtika, with gas-in-place reserves of 1.2tcf, will soon produce 300mmcfd, one-third of which will be allocated for the domestic market. Aung Thein Kha, with over 1tcf, is scheduled to have its first gas by 2018, aruond 100mcfd, all for the domestic market.

Future offshore potential from existing finds could come from CNOOC's gas discovery at M-10 and MPRLs announcement of a gas find in Pyithar.

Both should yield production around 2020, beyond which Myanmar can likely expect further finds from new shallow-water and deepwater blocks.

The future of onshoreFrom 1963 to 2013. the MOGE's onshore finds amounted to about 1.8b barrels of oil equivalence in the Central Myanmar Basin, the Pyay Embayment and the Delta Basin. Yet production came to just 432mboe, or 24 percent. Recovery factors still have much room for improvement.

Efficiency aside, to date the MOGE has identified and investigated some 14 sedimentary provinces onshore with the potential to generate and accumulate petroleum, with more favourable provinces yet to be investigated.

And among those investigated, not a single province has yet been comprehensively explored. Many more investigations are yet to be made with more advanced techniques and better drilling technology, which will allow exploration of ultra-deep and/or high pressure/high temperature wells.

Myanmar already has evidence of huge oil deposits in Yenangyaung, Chauk, Mann and Htaukshabin/Kanni, as well as significant onshore natural gas deposits in Payagon, Aphyauk and Nyaungdon.

Future oil seekers, armed with geological studies and advanced technologies, are bound to make more discoveries.

Offshore natural gas slated for domestic use

2014: 200 mmcfd from Yadana 100 mmcfd from Zawtika (early 2014) 100 mmcfd from Shwe (late 2014)

2018: 100 mmcfd from Aung Thein Kha

2020: 100 mmcfd from M-10 (must negotiate with CNOOC for early development or relinquish)

U Soe Myint joined the Ministry of Energy as a geologist in 1962. He served as Director General for the Energy Planning Department from 1995 until 2008. He is now Executive Directorof Machinery & Solutions Co Limited and also serves as president of the Myanmar Geosciences Society.

What's to come and what to do in the meantimeThirty shortlisted bidders mostly from the US, Canada, Europe, India and Australia are in the running for 11 shallow- and 19 deepwater blocks, with winners to be announced any day now.

But a deepwater discovery could take 5-7 years, and shallow-water blocks could take 3-5 years.

So while additional natural gas reserves will become available, it won't be until 2020-25 or beyond.

The shortfall of natural gas in the meantime calls for either orere expedited onshore exploration or for alternative fuels other than natural gas to be developed in order to meet the shortfall.

Energy planners will have to give serious consideration to this timeframe when planning the nation's future electricity generation mix.

In thepipeline

U Aung Kyaw MoeElectrician, Yankin EPC

MOST shocks come from service wires and home meter boxes. They can be dangerous if not repaired by skilled mechanics.

I have seen five electricians die during my career. When repairing power lines, the main board should be turned off, to halt the flow, because we cant see when its flowing just by looking.

U Kyaw Win HlaingEngineer, Apex Marine Co

IVE served on ships three times, and each time saw beautiful lights in other countries when our ships reached ports. Power is important for a country because most criminal cases occur when it is dark. If lighting is not good enough, crimes can happen more, because criminals love darkness. For crime to be eradicated, power is essential.

U Wai LinTechnician, Eskala Hotels

HOTELS in Ngwe Saung use generators for power. Most hotels have two generators, as well mechanics ready to repair them. But also villages in Ngwe Saung have individual generators. About one in 20 houses uses a solar panel system.

The Fire Department trains hotel staff to prevent fires. Some hotels hire trainers from private security companies to train their staff. Hotels drive generators for 24

Vox popThe buzz over electricity

A former director general of the Energy Planning Department charts the past and the future of Myanmars oil and natural gas industries

Shwe project gas pipelines to China are laid down over Daw-na Mountain in Rakhine State in late 2012. Photo: Ko Taik

5Sandar [email protected]

TOO much garbage, not enough energy Yangons power shortages continue to plague its 4.7 million residents, while the over 1500 tonnes of waste Myanmar's largest city generates each day threatens to overwhelm its landfills.

Fortunately, the municipal authority has hit on a way to solve both issues at once: Announced last year, two new waste-to-energy facilities will turn Yangons cast-off rubbish into energy for the national grid. It's too early to announce exact start dates, but both projects are currently under construction at two of the city's garbage collection sites.

There are several ways of turning waste into energy, but the most popular are methane gas extraction at the landfill, to create compressed natural gas (CNG), and heat extraction through incineration, to drive steam turbines and generate electricity.

The basic principles of each method are employed in similar ways around the world, though details do vary from plant to plant and most of them are trade secrets. Still, a general survey of each of them can help make sense of just where that electricity is coming from when we flick on the switch.

We chose two proposals using different principal methods out of 43 proposal submissions to our waste-to-energy project tender, said U Aung Myint Maw, assistant chief engineer at the Environmental Protection and Cleaning Department, part of Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC).

Successful bidders Zeya & Associates Co Ltd will incinerate waste for commercial electricity generation in Dawai Chaung in North Dagon township, while South Koreas Chasson International will build a power plant at Htein Pin in Hlaing Tharyar township and drive it using the Sanitary Landfill Method of methane extraction.

The first requirement of the extraction method is a very large

pit. While the exact measurements for Htein Pin werent available from company officials, who had returned to South Korea and were not able to respond by press time, U Aung Myint Maw said more than half the existing space is available.

Htein Pin garbage collection site is 150 acres wide, and 70 acres of this has been used. The pit will be dug in the remaining 80 acres.

He added that the biological make-up of most trash here makes it well-suited to the process.

According to Myanmar peoples eating habits, 78 percent of the garbage is organic. Thats very good for micro-organism proliferation. Without any special treatment, the garbage pile will reach a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit [20 Celsius] and produce methane, U Aung Myint Maw said.

First the pit will be covered with a special layer called a Geo Membrane to protect it from polluting groundwater. Then, once the gas-collecting tubes and pipelines are set up along with the processing equipment required for collecting and cleaning leached materials, the process can begin.

First of all, the truck-load of garbage is weighed, U Aung Myint Maw said.

Weighing the garbage is important because according to

its contract YCDC has to send 800 tonnes of garbage to Htein Pin and 600 tonnes to Dawai Chaung each day.

Plastic, which wont break down the way organic waste does, will be handpicked from the mixed rubbish before the waste is dumped into the pit. The plastic will be recycled into polyethylene seeds onsite at a separate special facility.

Then the remaining garbage is thrown into the pit and

compressed by compactor trucks which drive to and fro across the pile. At a suitable thickness of garbage, a layer of soil is added, and then more garbage, until the pit is filled up layer by layer. Gas is collected as it's produced by the garbage's natural decomposition. When the pit is full, it is covered with a thicker layer of topsoil on top. At this point, its safe for reuse for public re-use, for fields or even golf courses.

At Dawai Chaung, in north Yangon, Zeya & Associates Co Ltd, along with partner firm Hyundai Rotem and other international investors, will build two incinerators and electricity-generating plants. And while many companies claim to be transparent in their operations, this facility plans to take that literally.

All the machines and steps can

be seen through the glass wall of the control room. When we have built the plant, we will invite observers and the media to visit, said assistant general manager U Pyi Sone Aung.

The contracted 600 tonnes a day will be carried in by YCDC trucks, weighed and then thrown into four pits of around 1000 square metres (10,800 square feet) each.

The garbage will be lifted with a hook and transferred to the tank where it will be washed with water

to remove earth and compost. A huge amount of water is needed and we will use underground water, U Pyi Sone Aung said.

The wet garbage is the poured into the incinerators big funnels.

Inside, shaking sieves will separate the trash step by step, as people in Yangon throw away waste without separating items by material first.

For intermediate-level technology, trash needs to be sorted into types, such as bottles, glass, metal, plastic and so on. Later, advanced technology will allow everything to be incinerated together. Even iron can be incinerated," U Pyi Sone Aung said.

As the trash is mixed, our partner Korean experts had to seek new procedures to incinerate them. Thats why the cost of the project gets high, up to US$100 million. But the experts said that the wastes power productivity is very good, he said.

The raw heat generated will be used to drive a steam turbine generator. Ash, and anything else that cant be burned, will be collected at the end of the process.

Ash is about 10 percent of the garbage and we will manage it according to YCDCs instruction, U Pyi Sone Aung said.

The dirty water that washed the garbage is treated so its clean and will be released into the nearby stream. The smoke also will be treated with several filters, he said.

Once both projects come online, the incineration-driven steam turbines will produce around 15.4 megawatts per hour, while the methane from the decomposing landfill will generate about 12MW/hr for first year and 10MW/hr in the second and third years.

The electricity produced at both will be added to the national grid.

With the help of private companies, Yangon aims to solve two of its biggest problems at once

hours when theyre crowded with guests, but some hotels shut down the air conditioners during the day when guests go to the beach, to save electricity.

U Zaw Lin WinManager, A1 Generators showroom

WE used to have more demand for generators but right now the demand is dropping. People dont buy generators if the power is off only one day per week. But lighting shops, photocopy shops and internet

cafs use generators. And with condo buildings being finished, we see more demand for big generators. Not small ones, though: A year ago demand was 100 per weekend, but now its only 10. For rural residents, solar electric things are more in demand now, so they dont have to pay for fuel. Currently our business is focused not on generators but on construction machines, because there is more power.

By Aung Kyaw Nyunt, translation by Mya Kay Khine

One persons trash is anothers electricityOne persons trash is anothers electricity

Graffitti on Pyay Road near Parami. Photo: Wade Guyitt

How the proposed waste-to-energy incineration facility will operate at Dawai Chaung, North Dagon township. Photo: Supplied

6Mya Kay [email protected]

WHEN I lived in Nay Pyi Taw in 2007, there was no Water Fountain Garden, no Zoological Gardens, no Safari Park. But there was one thing that made me love it: the lighting.

Before 6pm, the sidewalks were like a desert, but once the workday ended the roads were crowded with pedestrians. Things were brightly lit, making everyone feel safe. And the rows and rows of streetlights made for a relaxing sight after a long day.

Photographers and the public loved them.

I didnt know it at the time, but many lights in the new capital were installed by one company: Krislite, a Singaporean company, which opened an office in Myanmar in 1994 and distributes its products here via Lighting Specialist Co Ltd.

As well as selling lighting products to private homes and business, Krislite has partnered with the government on many large-scale projects, particularly in Nay Pyi Taw: the parliament buildings, the SEA Games facilities, Uppatasandi Pagoda, half the

roads: these and other well-known sites in the country's capital are lit by Krislites products.

To become a great metropolis, there must be not only good roads but also bright lights, says managing director U Kyaw Moe Naing.

Nay Pyi Taw is a new city and it is powered in every district and sector. For example, every road is fixed with overhead cables and problems wont easily arise.

In Nay Pyi Taw, all buildings government offices, hotels, shopping malls are lit up brightly to enhance the beauty of the city.

To see Yangons lights at night, the best way is to go down to

Yangon River and look from far away. From there you can pick out the lights of hotels, shopping centres, parks and even houses. And brighter than anything else around are the lights of Shwedagon Pagoda thanks to the four yellow-filter floodlights, which cost US$1000 each when Krislite installed them in 2002.

U Kyaw Moe Naing said that Krislite is now in talks with Yangon Heritage Trust to help put the spotlight on other famous structures in the city, such as its one-of-a-kind colonial-era buildings.

In some places of Yangon

power is supplied systematically, but many places are not, he says. If the power supply was better in Yangon also, it would be incredibly beautiful.

But he adds that to light all of Yangon like Nay Pyi Taw would present special challenges.

Starting fresh is not same as repairing. Creating new streets and lighting starts systematically and is very easy. But when repairing a street you can encounter some restrictions. If one road has to be rebuilt, its going to damage surrounding places. We must recognize these issues and study them to understand them fully.

Hein Htet [email protected]

THE electric lights used by the fish, meat and vegetable sellers at Yangons 38th Street market started with one brilliant idea.

I began this roughly three years ago, says U Kyaw Kyaw, because I needed to have lights for my restaurant.

This is a generator, which he brought and installed near his street stall to promote his business and help his customers see what they were doing after dark, since there was no adequate street lights.

Others around him immediately wanted to show off their wares this way also, so since the generator offered enough power to supply a household of four, U Kyaw Kyaw decided to offer electricity to his fellow vendors.

He rents about 30 bulbs, and charges K300 for one or a special

deal K500 for two.I bring the lightbulbs and then

at around 5pm I start to place the wires all over the bazaar. The bulbs hang from two-foot poles he provides. The wire system is safe because I put the wires above the ground, he says.

Its very convenient, says Ma Phyo Chit, who sells fish jerky and rents a bulb for her stall. Before Kyaw Kyaw, we just had to use our own battery-powered lightbulbs. In Yangon, it is not easy to use such batteries.

U Kyaw Kyaw says his earnings cover the cost of a gallon of fuel K4500, lasting two nights and also allow some profit.

His fellow venders agree. Daw Win Mar used to use candles, she says, but they made her vegetables appear dim and didn't show off their true colours.

Now, thanks to U Kyaw Kyaws bright idea, her displays gleam just as they should.

Bright lights, big cityLacking historic buildings, the capitol makes its statement with lighting instead

Lit by bulbs powered by a nearby generator, customers shop at Yangon's 38th Street market. Photo: Zarni

Krislite has lit many of Nay Pyi Taw's sites, including the Lotus roundabout (above), parliament (top left) and streets.

Photo: Supplied

Let there be light at the 38th Street night market

7What's the state of the sector today?In recent onshore bidding, the government awarded 16 blocks to 12 companies. Now everybody is waiting for the announcement of the winners of the historic offshore bidding rounds. We have big national oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs), all aggressively competing for both shallow-water and deepwater blocks.

Bangladesh and India started open bidding after Myanmar, but Im told theyve attracted few international players. This is the time for Myanmar's oil and gas to regain former glory in a big way.

In 2009, exploration spending alone was around US$300 million. Last year it was almost $1 billion. With the new wave of investment, we expect the market will grow into the multiple billions, making Myanmar a key regional player in the upstream sector.

Yours is one of the few local companies involved in oil and gas business. Can you tell us about competing with fellow nationals as well as foreign giants?Locally, we have a very limited number of players spearheaded by the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE). But we are quite far behind in terms of technology and project management. The only way to catch up is to encourage local companies to form joint ventures with foreign companies, to build capacity and transfer technology and knowhow.

Until then, local companies are focussing on less value-added segments such as logistics, catering, local support etc. They compete aggressively, but for less than 5 percent of the market.

If Myanmar companies can capture the value-added segments

of the market, taking up to 30pc, the oil and gas service sectors alone could contribute more than 5pc of GDP as direct income. Norway used a similar strategy, leveraging its oil and gas to boost its global position.

What are the pressures right now in the big-money game?To sustain our business, we cannot afford to limit ourselves to Myanmar in the long run. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is not a joke: It is coming. As chair nation of ASEAN in 2013 we need to tell the world we really mean it.

Regionally, and globally, if we are not competitive we won't survive. We cannot hide under government protection. We need to rely on ourselves. The stresses come from finding good partners, maintaining good people, training them, and attracting talented people, local or expat. We have to empower

them to make good decisions, acquire capabilities through tech transfer and knowhow, and manage joint ventures with world-class companies. We want to build pride in Myanmar for the way it is gaining respect internationally.

How will other nations energy needs affect Myanmar?Myanmar is surrounded by energy-hungry economies and regional blocs. With Shwes South East Asia Oil & Gas pipelines (SEAOP/SEAGP) to China and the Zawtika project, Myanmar becomes the largest exporter of gas in Southeast Asia, followed by Indonesia. The question is how the country can balance income from exports with energy independence for current and future generations.

There are 5 bilateral power grids trading over 2500MW in ASEAN, and 11 bilateral gas pipelines. Asia currently commands 28pc of world GDP, and it will command an estimated 52pc by 2030. More than half the worlds energy demand will come from Asia after 2030.

But locally only 30pc of the population has access to grid electricity. Sufficient and reliable electricity is critical for the industrial sector and for foreign

direct investment (FDI). We should focus on improving

efficiency in generation and transmission while at the same time pushing for onshore exploration and development. I also believe private-public partnership arrangements will lead to less costly and more effective solutions. We also think the electricity law should be approved as soon as possible in order to address the issues properly.

In the longer run, Myanmar can potentially become an electricity-exporting country from hydropower and gas-fired power generation.

What issues need to be addressed urgently?

It is important to execute the energy sector reform process in an inclusive, fair and transparent

manner. I wish to see more people the experienced and the youthful joining national energy management committees (NEMCs) so that we can come up with a robust and sustainable national energy master plan.

The government should not delay developing the MOGE into the main vehicle, or hero, for developing the energy sector in Myanmar. Revenues of gas exports should help drive national capacity-building.

What is your opinion on the Myitsone dam project? Should it have been halted instead of suspended?Personally, I think the present government delegated the decision because it is a complicated issue with no easy short-term solutions.

It started before the current government and it was a bold step by U Thein Seins government to

suspend it, given Myanmars great relationship with superpower China. But in this case a very large number of Myanmar people were badly affected, because social and poverty analysis was not done properly.

So we need to come up with an agreement that is less one-sided. Now it falls to the environmentalists, professional bodies, multilaterals, various stakeholders and local society to argue the case against the project. I personally think that if the environmental and social costs far exceed the economic benefits, any projects should be put under suspension.

Can you describe your companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) work and tell us why you do what you do?

In a recent ranking of generosity among the countries [World Giving Index 2013; available https://www.cafonline.org/publications/2013-publications/world-giving-index-2013.aspx], America ranked highest, followed by Myanmar which tied for second place. I believe we can score even better. Myanmar people are famous for giving even when they don't always know what they'll be having for breakfast tomorrow, but Western people score better in term of making their donations sustainable. We need to learn from the West how to donate responsibly and make sure our CSR works benefit society in a sustainable way.

At Parami Energy, we try to avoid ceremonial donations and don't channel aid through brokers. Instead we engage. We invest heavily in education through our rural monastic schools program where we help rural kids who are the poorest of the poor get an education. We bring access to clean water for hospitals.

We also engage in green activities. We are committed to planting 500,000 trees by 2015. That energy enables us to overcome the challenges we are facing now.

What would you like to advise foreign energy companies about doing business here responsibly?

First of all, Myanmar is not just hype. Myanmar has strong fundamentals for any business to come and invest.

But success has two major ingredients. The first is getting a good local partner who understands the system and the people. The second is thinking long-term and investing in society.

Those with long-term views will find great successes here. Around 90pc of Totals workforce here are locals. Daewoo helps build roads and schools. PTTEP helps people with training and education, and by building schools. Petronas puts Myanmar students through university.

There are still lots of opportunities to be CSR role models in Myanmar, such as training local businesses on compliance and ethics. A competent workforce will help you achieve sustainable success.

Not just hypeKen Tun, CEO of the Myanmar-owned and operated Parami Energy Group, sits down

with editor Myo Lwin to give his perspective on the energy rush

BILLION

$1Approximate investment in Myanmar in 2013 on energy exploration alone, not

counting development

More than half the world's energy demand will come from Asia after 2030 ... Sufficient and reliable electricity is critical.

[email protected]

IN the early morning I have to cook for my family, before they go off to work and to school, says Daw Shirley, 69. But if the electricity goes out, how can I do that? In the dark, I have to find the candles and cant finish the cooking in time.

Electricity in Yangon costs too much, Daw Shirley says and thats if its consistent. Usually, especially in the summer, it isnt. If the power goes out when she or anyone else in a country where less than 1 percent of the population receives consistent, reliable electricity is cooking, the half-boiled rice will be ruined.

Thats why she chooses something else.

Cooking with charcoal is better suited for me, Daw Shirley says.

Charcoal wood heated without oxygen so its doesnt burn down costs around K5000 in Yangon for a 10-viss bag (16 kilograms, or 36 pounds). Thats enough to last

Daw Shirley and her family for more than a month, and costs less than the K9000 or K10,000 she estimates shed need for electricity each month. After cooking, she can also take the leftover hot coals, load them into her charcoal iron and press the familys clothes for the day.

But not everyone can afford to buy in bulk. Many buy 1-viss bags instead. Even then, the price depends on what grade of charcoal they are buying. To make up the smaller portions, charcoal sellers break down a 10-viss bag, picking out the best pieces for one price range, the second-best for another, and then finally pouring out the tiny leftover bits to be sold to those who cannot afford larger pieces.

Even though I use charcoal I cant buy the high-quality one, says Daw Thandar Moe, 33. So I buy the cheapest one, the lowest standard of charcoal. Its nearly dust.

Still, she says, its only K200 or K250 per viss. Some who buy these cheaper bags pour off the water

from their rice during cooking, mixing it with the dust to mould it into small bricks. Once it dries, it holds together almost like a new piece.

Cooking with the charcoal is less smoky, and its a lower cost for me, says Daw Aye Aye Myint, 47. I have to cook for my children to have the food ready in time for them to go to school. Cooking with the charcoal is very useful and quick for me to cook.

For some, neither option works.To be safe from a flow of

electric current, you have to buy a good quality stove, said Daw Myint Myint, 55. Electricity is too much for me. Nor can she afford charcoal except on rare occasions, because her grown son has learning disabilities and neither of them can go out to work.

Instead, each summer she harvests dried branches from trees that have sprouted on her compound since the previous year.

I am cooking with wood, Daw Myint Myint says.

No money to burnUnable to afford electricity, many rely on solid fuels such as charcoal instead

Hein Htet aUnG [email protected]

ENERGY in Myanmar is often talked about in terms of billions of dollars, but some of the most exciting projects are happening on a smaller scale, where lives are changed in person one by one. While the government works to expand the national grid a massive undertaking, particularly in remote areas some smaller companies are instead focusing on what they call microgrids. By hooking up their houses or villages to sustainable sources of energy generated right in their own backyards, people can enjoy the benefits of electricity immediately, without having to wait for the infrastructure of the national grid to reach them.

Of course, these microgrids need to be self-sustaining. Thats where eco-friendly solutions from organisations like Indigo Energy come into play.

Indigo Energy is a sustainable energy company started in September 2012 by young entrepreneur, engineer and managing director, Allen Himes. Its a small organisation just five foreign and local employees, plus an intern but together the team members are using their skills to bring electricity to residents in the Ayeyarwady delta. Thanks to their projects, those who would otherwise rely on batteries or firewood are able to use solar power instead, freeing up their time, money and effort for other priorities.

Originally from rural Mississippi, Himes a trained electrical engineer was living in Hong Kong when he decided to move to Myanmar.

Everyone said its exciting and new, he said, remembering his decision to come. I was reading about Myanmar in the newspaper, and I was like, Ill go check it out and see whats happening.

Assessing the country's energy

shortfall, Himes originally intended to set up multi-megawatt-producing wind power projects to generate electricity. In a country where hydropower and solid fuel generate most of the electricity, and where international money is pouring into lucrative oil and natural gas projects, sustainable resources like wind power are somewhat overlooked, and require relatively unfamiliar technologies for locals.

But while the skill set was there, he said, securing the funding proved impossible, especially for such a small start-up company.

Wind power for a solo entrepreneur is much more expensive than what we are doing right now. When I came here, I didn't really understand that.

He says no matter how good your ideas or intentions are, its the financial factor that sometimes determines your way forward.

"I think I found my way to starting my business when I was reading a book about John

D Rockefeller, Himes said, explaining how the famous American oil baron of the late 1800s always bought stock in his own companies, even when others wouldnt. That's the way I look at it. I think if I'm really confident, I should put in my own money.

But it was convincing others that proved to be the problem.

When you go visit the government, and you say, Hey, I want to do a big project, the first thing they ask you is, How much money do you have and where does it come from? Being an entrepreneur, the point is that you can't really develop a project for nothing if you didn't bring any investors.

Himes hasnt ruled out wind power entirely if I had the right partner then I would definitely be open to it but in the short term he's concentrating on a more affordable option: solar panels.

Solar seems a natural fit for Myanmar. It brings power access to those not on the grid and homes

can be hooked up quickly. Indigo has so far installed two

solar projects, both in villages in the Ayeyarwady delta. The low-cost agreements allow residents to light their homes and charge their phones cheaply, saving them time and effort as well as money that would otherwise be spent on batteries or solid fuel sources a model Indigo hopes to spread.

We want to work in the Ayeyarwaddy because we have pretty good relationships so far. We are also interested in Yangon Region, because it's pretty close, and probably upper Myanmar and going to the dry zone area.

Is Indigo committing solely to solar? Not at the moment, but I would like to develop hydroelectric energy," Himes said, "because hydro has a couple of issues. One is that in the summer the water goes off, especially in the dry zones. Also we need enough water in the first place, and many many places don't have water. This is the problem we are having and we need elevation to do that.

Listing rocky Chin State as a possibile site for future work, he said the future for sustainable energy remains an uphill struggle.

It is definitely possible to develop sustainable energy in Myanmar, but it's definitely not going to be easy.

What we find with the government is that they are quite enthusiastic about the world of electrification, but they don't really know how to help. Data sometimes takes six months to obtain, and that slows progress.

There are also technical problems to solve. The team recently made a trip back to the delta to fix one of its projects, which was only producing two-to-three hours worth of electricity, instead of the expected five.

Still, villagers are enjoying the new energy source, Himes said. And with Indigo looking to expand to other areas, the future seems bright for all concerned.

Rays of hope

Indigo Energy is a recent startup bent on bringing low-cost electricity to homes in the delta, one solar panel at a time

Charcoal sellers in Yangon sort different grades for different prices. Photo: Staff

9The government-run gas turbine power plant in Ahlone township has been running for 15 years. Photo: Boothee

aUnG SHin [email protected]

LAST November the Ministry of Electric Power announced the country would need 2370 megawatts (MW) during the 2014 hot season of March, April and May.

"Currently," the ministry said, it produces "only 1655MW in maximum production."

With only 26 percent of the country electrified; with demand growing by 15 percent each year; and with nationwide consumption estimated to reach 10,000MW in 2020, there's just one question: Where is this electricity going to come from?

Currently, Myanmar relies on hydropower plants for 75pc of its electricity. But hydro projects are major undertakings and cannot be completed in only a few short years. Until further hydroelectric dams are ready, the answer has to come from elsewhere.

In the short term, two possible sources emerge: natural gas-fired power plants and coal-fired power plants. And since burning coal is an environmentally destructive act, widely condemned by environmentalists and the public at large, one one option is left: taking Myanmar's vast reserves of natural gas and turning them into the electricity needed to power the country into a new age.

Gas-fired power plants currently produce something less than one-quarter of total production. But the governments 10 existing gas-fired power plants are ageing. While they're under survey for renovatations, and some are either ready or have had deals signed recently for repairs that will increase their output, it's clear that these 10 facilities can't go it alone nor can the government afford to simply build more.

At least, not on its own.

On March 6 The Myanmar Times visited one of the operational gas-fired power plants in the Yangon area. There are four government-owned gas-fired facilities nearby: Hlawga, Ywama (Insein), Thaketa and Ahlone.

The latter is situated on the riverbank in Ahlone township, next to Strand Road and close to the citys downtown. The compound is quite big: Attached to it is a power transmission station, which sends the electricity generated at the plant out to homes and business. As you approach it you can see smokestacks rising from a distance, as if drilling into the sky;

as you enter the compound itself the noise of the turbines becomes nonstop.

The gas turbines are 15 years old, said station superintendent U Khin Maung Myint. We have three gas turbines and one steel turbine in Ahlone.

The gas turbines are made in France by Alston, and have an installed capacity of 30MW apiece. They are fueled by Myanmars offshore wells, which feed their voracious appetites with a daily combined supply of 45 million cubic feet (mmcfd) of natural gas, which is divided among the three.

U Khin Maung Myint said the facility gets only offshore gas, though he added that onshore gas is actually preferable for generating electricity, for complicated reasons to do with thermal energy. But with most of Myanmar's supply offshore, the country works with what it can get.

After the gas turbines have done their work, they emit exhaust which drives the steel turbine. (All the turbines are made of steel, but this is how this secondary turbine is referred to by workers.) Gas turbine facilities generally have at least one steel turbine for every two-to-four gas turbines: the exhaust is considered "free", since it's already served its primary purpose, and by harnessing it, Ahlone generates an additional

24MW maximum.Still, the aging turbines need

proper maintenance to live up to their potential. At the end of last year, minor adjustments were made to the three gas turbines, bringing them up to about 110MW combined. But U Khin Maung Myint said the facility has put in a request for permission to have more maintenance carried out. The turbines, he says, are running all the time, and to keep it operating day and night requires nearly 100 employees working in shifts.

Lately, though, the noise of the turbines has been blending with a different noise from the same compound: construction.

Next to the government-owned turbines, a new gas-fired power plant facility is partly complete at Ahlone. Its being built by Toyo-Thai, a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development and Toyo Engineering from Japan.

Toyo-Thai has been granted a 30-year concession to the land, U Khin Maung Myint said, as part of a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer agreement with the MOEP, U Khin

Maung Myint said. While the exact details of the

power purchasing deal are unclear, the new privately run turbines at Ahlone are being fuelled just like their government-owned neighbours: by natural gas piped in from offshore.

The capacity of Toyo-Thai's two turbines they're American-made, a product of General Electric (GE) combines to nearly three times that of their three ageing neighbours.

The two turbines generate 84MW of electricity, said a Thai official from the site, adding that another steel turbine with a capacity of 24MW is still under construction.

As with all steel turbines, that 24MW will be a bonus: The main prize, the two core turbines, are already in operation.

In addition to the Toyo-Thai plant, four more private gas-fired plants are set to go up in the Yangon area soon. With a combined US270 million invested by one local and three foreign companies, each has installed capacities of

300MW. The turbines are currently

ready to generate 240MW, but production is waiting on a power purchasing agreement to be worked out with the MOEP.

While Ahlones existing gas-fired power plant belongs to the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE) under the Ministry of Electric Power, the nation's energy needs cross multiple government jurisdictions.

We have to negotiate with the MOGE [Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise] for the gas supply. We handle the turbine loading in accordance with the gas supply from the MOGE, said one engineer.

And while Ahlone's turbines are working 24/7 to meet the citys aggressive electricity demands, even then, the engineer said over the din, there are periods of slowdown.

The electricity production of the turbines depends on the volume of the natural gas supply. Sometimes the volume goes lower due to some problems in the pipeline or at the offshore site. Then the turbines cannot fire continuously. Production is stable when the natural gas comes in at a stable volume.

In 2013, demand for natural gas for domestic use measured 700mmcfd. But less than half of that 300mmcfd could be supplied. And this year the MOE estimates domestic demand will rise to 425mmcfd.

So while new gas turbines facilities have sprung up quickly under government guidance, and while the private facilities offer dramatic improvements in production, whether or not they will be able to bridge the nations energy gap until hydroelectric is ready to take over in the long term will come down to a classic case of economics.

While more turbines will expand the potential for cheap, stable electricity, they will be dependent on efficient extraction of natural reserves. An actual boost to the national grid and a resulting decrease on electricity prices, for public, commercial and industrial use will therefore depend on factors further up the pipeline.

Will the supply be there? One things for certain: There is no shortage of demand.

Gas turbines rise to fight power battleThe government is banking on natural gas-fired power plants to meet the nations immediate needs. Are they up to the challenge?

Workers and technicians build parts of a new Toyo-Thai gas turbine power plant in Yangon's Ahlone township last week.

Photo: Boothee

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THESE photos were taken at Htankhine and Da Hut Pin oil fields in Minhla township, Magwe Region. Private prospectors drill 15 to 300 metres (50 to 1000 feet) below the surface and use a valve system to extract whatever oil they can find, selling it in 50-gallon (227-litre) drums for K118,000-K180,000 each.

Oil wells have operated in the area for more than 100 years, and private contractors continue to ply their trade using old-fashioned methods in spite of giant multinational interests moving into Myanmars energy market.

About 100,000 people have moved to Htakhine since it became operational in 2006, while 400,000 have been drawn to Da Htut Pin since it started operations early last year. In both cases, most of the new arrivals are from Mandalay, Magwe and Ayeyarwady regions.

They rent land from farm owners who lease up to 100 plots per acre for K500,000-K1.2 million (US$500-$1200) each. Some drillers are losing money, but others say they are doing well. Satellite businesses have also bubbled up alongside the oil, with meat, fruit and vegetable markets, and even KTV and massage parlours, turning brisk profits in these shanty communities.

Focus on:Minhla oil fieldsA photo essay by Aung Htay Hlaing

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