40 MW Solar PV Project Online In Myanmar

• Myanmar's first commercial solar power plant with 40 MW has come online in Magway region of the country, according to Xinhuanet
• Project forms initial phase of a much larger 170 MW farm in Minbu township; remaining 3 phases are yet to be commissioned
• Green Earth Power (Myanmar) Company has completed the 40 MW plant under build-operate-transfer basis

A 40 MW solar power plant, part of a 170 MW park, has been commissioned in Myanmar, reported the English news portal of China's Xinhuanet. This is the country's first commercial solar power plant, it stated and has come up in Magway region.

As the initial phase of the 170 MW project, the 40 MW capacity has been implemented by Green Earth Power (Myanmar) Company (GEP) on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. It started construction on the first phase in February 2018.

The other 3 phases will add 130 MW more to the grid to complete the project in Minbu township. The entire 170 MW on completion is expected to generate 350 million kWh of solar power annually, enough to cater to electricity requirements of about 210,000 households.

A May 2019 Myanmar: Solar Investment Opportunities-Emerging Markets Task Force Report by SolarPower Europe says GEP has signed a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) for this project at a tariff of around $0.086 per kWh for the $275 million project.

According to the report, Myanmar has no specific legal framework for renewable energy investments, but it aims for universal electricity access by 2030 under a National Electrification Plan developed with the help of the World Bank. The government is also working towards a renewable energy target of 8% share of renewables in the energy mix by 2021 and to 12% by 2025.