Will increasing imports help ease the electricity supply shortages in Myanmar?

While increasing imports could help to ease the electricity supply shortages in Myanmar, it remains challenging under the current circumstances. Improving power sector financial viability and recovering customer confidence are critical for private sector capital mobilization to enhance the quality of electricity services.

How can Myanmar improve its power system?

Rebuilding Myanmar’s power system will require establishing trust to develop the power sector. Developing solar PV can add incremental generating capacity in a relatively fast manner.

What is happening in Myanmar's power sector?

Myanmar’s power sector has been severely afected by the ongoing political turmoil. The power sector has been spiralling downward since 2021 with prolonged electricity blackouts throughout the country. Electricity generation has been declining, resulting in a widening power supply–demand gap.

Why is the power supply-demand gap a major challenge in Myanmar?

Increasing the power supply–demand gap is the major challenge to securing reliable electricity services in the country. Myanmar already faced power shortages in 2019, of up to approximately 300 megawats (MW). The power supply–demand gap has widened since 2021.

Will Myanmar experience power cuts during the dry season?

Unless gas-fired power plants are fulfilling the base load, Myanmar will likely continue to experience severe power cuts during the dry season and slightly less acute cuts in the remaining months of the year. The main diference is that dry-season cuts would afect rural and urban areas alike and have a crippling efect on economic activity.

Is Myanmar's power sector affected by political and macroeconomic instability?

Myanmar’s power sector has been severely afected by political and macroeconomic instability since the February 2021 military takeover. Following the significant uncertainty and volatility that characterized much of 2022, economic conditions appear to have stabilized in the first half of 2023.