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Myanmar takes urgent measures to ease power shortage
Myanmar has taken some urgent measures to ease power crisis in the wake of days' peaceful demonstration against blackout staged in some townships in the country.
According to Thursday's official media, some 52 heavy-duty generators have been ordered from some foreign companies and they are to arrive Myanmar within a week to be put into use to calm the protest.
These generators, bought from the United States' Caterpillar Co. and General Electric Co, and from an unknown company from Singapore, range from 200 KVA to 6,315 KVA, while some range from 1 to 2 megawatts (mw) in addition to two gas turbines of 25 mw in capacity, said the New Light of Myanmar.
Of the generators, eleven 3,895-KVA ones will be used in Yangon, while twenty 6,315-KVA ones will be for Mandalay, it said, adding that others of smaller capacity will be introduced in Pyay and Monywa.
Candle-light demonstrations demanding full supply of electricity have spread to Yangon from Thongkua, Mandalay, Monywa, Bago and Pyay since the weekend.
Meanwhile, the authorities had made an appeal in official media Tuesday asking people to understand the current situation in which electricity is being alternately supplied in three groups.
In late April, due to insufficient supply of electricity in the country, Myanmar's electric power authorities barred industrial zones, factories and workshops from using electricity for a fixed period of six hours at night time to enable alternative supply of power to public use when such use is at peak between 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time.
Moreover, steps were also taken to supply power alternatively in the daytime when there is no enough electricity
The authorities clarified that electricity demand has far exceeded supply in Myanmar, especially in this summer season, forcing the authorities to take such measure as to supply the power alternately in a bid to ease the increased demand.
According to the Ministry of Electric Power-2 , due to an increase in number of electric power users and state-owned and private factories and workshops, the demand has hit 1,890 megawatts (mw) against actual supply of 1,500 mw.
Meanwhile, an explosion in Myanmar's northeastern Shan state hit some towers of the power grid on last Saturday, worsening the situation. The explosion struck the 230-KV power grid lying between Ruili and Mansan which is about 48.27 kilometers from Lashio in northern Shan state.
Due to the blast, power supply to Yangon's industrial zones was cut on the very day but alternative supply at six hours' intervals is being made to townships in Yangon starting Monday.
XINHUA
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