Myanmar Revives Myitsone Dam After 15-Year Halt
Myanmar plans to resume the $3.6 billion Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State after a 15-year suspension, with construction expected to complete within eight years following President Min Aung Hlaing's visit to China.
Myanmar's government has set its sights on resuming the Myitsone Dam project, valued at $3.6 billion (approximately 119.92 billion baht), in Myitkyina, Kachin State in the country's north, with plans to complete it within eight years. This move comes following Myanmar President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing's official visit to China last June.
Tet Paw Thoo, a Kachin State parliament member, stated that the project will begin soon after being suspended in 2011 due to intense public protests against the hydroelectric power station, Myanmar's largest project. He noted that an official announcement has already been made by President Min Aung Hlaing that the Myitsone Dam construction will resume.
Reports indicate that the suspension of the project deeply displeased China, but public protests against China's deep influence in Myanmar and environmental concerns caused the halt of plans to export 90 percent of the 6-gigawatt capacity to China.
This power generation capacity would make the Myitsone Dam rank among Southeast Asia's largest hydroelectric projects, though smaller than China's Sanxia or Sampho dams, which have a capacity of 22.5 gigawatts.
Resuming the Myitsone Dam project could cost as much as $11.5 billion (approximately 383.3 billion baht), more than three times the original 2009 price. This estimate is based on the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)'s latest assessment, which indicates average construction costs of $1,914 per kilowatt for hydroelectric projects in Asia outside China and India.
