7 October, 2018

          H.E. Union Minister U Win Khaing accompanied by responsible persons inspected Hitachi Soe Electric & Machinery Co.,Ltd jointed with Hitachi Co.,Ltd from Japan and located in industrial zone, Sourthen Dagon Township, Yangon, which is producing and testing 5389 transformers needed for 5080 villages as the first phase of National Electrification Plan operated by world bank loan. Chairman U Kyaw Min Tun from Hitachi Soe Electric & Macinery Co.Ltd and Managing Director Mr. Katsutoshi Inagaki explained and reported, then H.E. Union Minister pointed out the needs of works.

          Hitachi Soe Electric & Machinery Co.,Ltd which is a joint venture of Japan and Myanmar won the international competitive tender for the transformers 5389 needed for 5080 villages as the first phase of National Electrification Plan and contracted in November 23, 2017. The transformers 2525 have beeb produced and being transporting to the project area over the country at present.

          National Electrification Plan (NEP) from Ministry of Electricity and Energy has been drawn up with the help of World Bank. As this project’s inception, Ministry of Electricity and Energy got US$ 310 million loan from World Bank and it is being operated to get electricity for the villages 5080 within 2 miles far from national grid as the first phase of National Electrification Plan (NEP). Transformers, concrete poles, insulators, steel arms and materials associated with transformer needed for this project had been bought throw contract making International Competitive Bidding (ICP) according to the World Bank’s procedure. Construction works will be started in January, 2019. If this project finishes completely, about the households (626757) from the villages (5080) will get electricity from national grid. 50 villages from Sagaing Division and west of Bago Division have got electricity as the pilot project of National Electrification Plan according to the World Bank’s request. We heard delighted words from those villages.

          It is being operating for getting electricity for villages within 5 miles far from national grid by this loan. So, it is operating for surveying, collecting information and calculating material list in parallel with the projects as the first phase and tender will be called in December, 2018.  The projects as the second phase will be targeted to finish at the end of Setember, 2021. If the villages within 2 miles far from national grid in the first phase and within 5 miles far from national grid in the second phase completely finish, the households (1,032,411) from the villages (8537) will get electricity. And Electrification Ratio from national grid will be improved about 9.5% by this loan.

          Ministry of Electricity and Energy is not only operating electricity generation and transmission but also executing to get electricity more and more to improve electrification rate simultaneously. Ministry of Electricity and Energy get concessional loan and support from international partners such as World Bank, ADB, JICA and KfW and is driving electricity distribution sector by force. There are households 10.89 million in Myanmar. Up to August, 2018, the households 4.55 million (41.82%) is getting electricity from national grid and the households 6.33 million (58.18%) needs to get electricity from national grid. As Ministry of Electricity and Energy is executing to supply more electricity by union budget, state and region budget, loan from international partners including World Bank’s loan, plan is making to get electricity from national grid 55% of current households in March, 2021 and to improve 94.88% of the whole country in 2025/2026.

          Then, Hitachi Soe Electric & Machinery Co.,Ltd donated 100KVA 5 transformers to use in the rural development and getting electricity.