MYANMAR LEAPS INTO RUSSIAN-BACKED NUCLEAR ENERGY TO POWER ECONOMIC GROWTH

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Myanmar is solidifying plans to pursue civil nuclear energy to modernise its struggling economy, which has been severely impacted by civil conflict and natural disasters.

The government is tapping Russian nuclear expertise to build its first reactor, a project seen as pivotal to strengthening energy security in a country where nearly half the population still lacks reliable access to electricity.

The State Administration Council Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said Myanmar needs nuclear energy to support its key economic sectors that will help propel its economy, state media The Global New Light of Myanmar reported. 

“Myanmar has to develop nuclear technology and peacefully utilise nuclear energy.

“Will require skilful human resources to establish the nuclear infrastructure to efficiently utilise nuclear energy and radiological technology in the energy sector, health, agriculture, livestock, industrial and natural environmental conservation sectors,” said Min Aung Hlaing.

He was speaking at the “Youth and Future Myanmar – Science and Technology” workshop in Moscow on Thursday.

Myanmar signed a deal with Russia’s nuclear energy giant Rosatom to construct a small modular nuclear power plant in March this year. 

Under the cooperation, Rosatom will assist in building a 110 megawatt onshore nuclear power plant, and its capacity can be expanded to 330 megawatts.

“The intergovernmental agreement on constructing a small-scale nuclear power plant paves the way for Myanmar’s economy to access affordable and sustainable energy.

“This will serve as a strong catalyst for further economic growth, creating thousands of jobs and developing a highly skilled workforce,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the signing ceremony, according to Rosatom’s website. 

Myanmar has been hard-pressed to sustain its electricity supply, with much of its limited energy infrastructure damaged or destroyed by natural disasters or internal conflict. 

“The electricity sector in Myanmar is currently grappling with a critical situation marked by severe supply constraints and significant unmet demand. 

“Many of the challenges in the power sector are structural, fundamental, and linked with political instability, conflict, and macroeconomic conditions,” said the World Bank in its Myanmar Energy Sector Update on June 24.

The country’s current energy mix depends on hydropower, solar, wind, coal, and gas-fired power plants. 

According to the World Bank, the supply-demand gap continues to strain industries, while more than 50 million people experience frequent power outages, even in main cities like Yangon and Mandalay.

The Ministry of Electric Power said that daily electricity production exceeded 2,000 megawatts last year, but has dropped below that level since the beginning of this year, while national demand has averaged 4,400 megawatts per day.

-- BERNAMA