2 minute read
Foreword
Published in 2016, Myanmar’s Electricity Vision report provided a strong case for the technical and economic feasibility of Myanmar achieving 100 per cent electrification through renewable energy by 2050. Indeed, according to statistics from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, since publication of the report more than 50 per cent of Myanmar’s households are electrified. But there is much still to be done: Myanmar continues to face an energy deficit as communities across the country lack reliable and sustainable access to electricity.
A lot has changed over the past five years: a larger population requires more electricity, the economics and technology of renewable energy have changed massively, and also the public’s attitude towards renewable energy has changed. The objective of the revised Myanmar’s Electricity Vision (Myanmar’s Renewable Energy Vision) is, however, unchanged. Updated with new data and new scenarios, and in collaboration with more partners than in 2016, the new report once again outlines how Myanmar can diversify its generation mix and sustainably meet its energy needs.
Within the last five years, Myanmar has developed more than 120 operational distributed renewable energy mini-grids which are transforming livelihoods in the rural off-grid space. These projects provide real and practical sustainable solutions while also offering a major investment opportunity with enormous development impact. In addition, a significant number of renewable energy projects (principally solar) have been initiated through the private sector – this is despite the concerns regarding future connectivity between the extended national grid and off-grid projects. When delivering such projects, stakeholders still need to be convinced of the technological and economic feasibility of projects so that they are sustainable in the long run: good examples of success stories and clear communication of the facts are required for successful delivery. In 2020, a total of 1,060MW of solar project tenders were initiated in five different regions by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Although these projects later had to be halted, this was a bold and encouraging development.
The Increased Renewable Scenario (IRS) and Advanced Renewable Scenario (ARS) in this report are based on discussions with partners at the state and region level. It is also important to note that the Renewable Energy Vision findings indicate and contribute to Myanmar’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets and are consistent with its baseline to 2030 and subsequently extrapolated to 2050.
The report published in 2016 laid out a roadmap for Myanmar and expanded the debate around how the country produces, manages, and consumes energy. The revised Myanmar’s Electricity Vision similarly acts as a guide towards 100 per cent renewable energy usage in Myanmar and the sustainable and inclusive development of the sector.
Gill Pattison Nick Cox
Programme Manager New Zealand MFATRenewable Energy Programme Country Director WWF-Myanmar
Richard Harrison
CEO Smart Power Myanmar
Than Htay
Chairman REAM
David Allan
Executive Director Spectrum
