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Minister discusses dams and hydropower with Chinese firm

Eleven Media Group
30 January 2017 at 4:57

Aung Ye Ko

Top officials from Myanmar have discussed dams and hydropower projects with one of China’s biggest hydropower companies.
Ohn Win, the Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, discussed hydropower projects and business with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), the Ministry of Information revealed on Thursday.
Officials from SPIC outlined hydropower generation, plus environmental conservation and the social responsibility process of economic enterprises. Myanmar is keen to work with China on such areas.
After an invitation from China’s State Forest Administration (SFA), a delegation from Myanmar led by Ohn Win arrived in China and met with Mr Wang Binghun, chairman of the SPIC.
China Power Investment has seven projects to build dams and hydropower plants on the Ayeyawaddy River.
The projects include the Myitsone, Chiphway, Gusauk, Phisaw, Khaunglanphu and Yeltnanlarsa.
The company started building Myitsone dam on the Ayeyawady in May 2010. But former president Thein Sein suspended the huge dam project in Kachin State in September 2011, amid objections from local people and different organisations, which feared severe adverse impacts on the river.
The new government has set up an Investigation Commission, with 20 members to look into the $3.6-billion Myitsone project.
The China has been keen to restart work on the project, but many groups in Myanmar have called for the project to be scrapped.
The current status of the dam is uncertain.
SPIC was part of the CPI conglomerate.

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