1. Off-grid Hydropower Status of Myanmar
The NEP Workshop on Off-Grid Electrification in Myanmar
Grand Ball Room, Thingaha Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw
January 28-29, 2015
P G Ajith kumara

2. Outline Visited Hydro power projects
Categories of hydro power projects
Characteristics of Hydro power
Technical status
Hydro power service providers
Comparison with Sri Lanka off grid Hydro power

3. 35kW
200 HH
Private own
200W
1 HH

4. 300kW 2000> HH ESE owned Mechanical power Small industry runs
Private owned

5. 7kW
130HH
DRD Funded
Unknown power
80 HH
DRD funded

6. Distribution line
300VA voltage stabilizer

7. Visited Hydro power projects
Shan, Chin, Mandalay and Sagaing states
22 hydro projects visited
Capacity range 0.1kW to 1,500kW
6 nos. of service providers interviewed
Individual, community based, private ,government owned and government funded projects

8. Categories of hydro power projects
Domestic HPP (06 nos.)
1 – 5 HH
<500W power
Village HPP (12 nos.)
Upto 100kW
Few hundreds HH
Private, community and DRD funded
Operate by Community or owner
Government (DHPI, ESE) HPP (03 nos.)
Upto 1,500kW
National grid tariff structure
O & M by ESE

9. Domestic HPP Available in Shan and Sagaing states
Low head turbine technology
Unit cost Ks. 500,000 – 800,000
Fix in Irrigation channels
Output power 100W – 400W
PowerPal ( Canadian design (available upto 75kW)

11. Water wheel

12. Domestic HPP… Not required any form of approval/ permission
Can be acquired only well income and water sources owned families
Owners may supply electricity for few neighbors at Ks. 2,000 per bulb
Owners use light as well as TV and audio system
No significant bad impact on environment
Equipments can be purchased by cash only

13. Domestic HPP… Monthly O & M cost Ks. 3,000 – 6,000 Very poor power
Bearing life span 1 to 3 months
Very poor power
Voltage varies 150V – 260V
Frequency varies 35Hz – 65Hz
Not use controller
Tube bulb with magnetic ballast and Incandescent bulb only use
Ready made (PMG) generator available in market
Turbine and housing manufacturing by local technicians

14. Village HPP
Invested by Private entrepreneur, community and DRD or two of these
Capacity range is 3kW to 75kW
Actual output is less than 50% of the designed power
Locally manufactured turbines use
Monthly energy cost is Ks. 300 to 3,000/= ( one project15,000)
Project implementation cost upto ks250,000 per HH
Energy demand 2 to 5 bulbs, TV Audio systems, mobile phone and Rice cooker
Financing management not much transparent

18. Village HPP... Private owned
Started targeting own industry
2 projects in Shan state based on grain crusher, rice mill and oil expeller
One project from Sagaing state based on turbine manufacturing
Owners have technical capacity for O & M
Do not deal with banks

19. Village HPP... Community based
Project starting
By practicing neighbour village HPP or
By encouraging hydro power developer or manufacturer
Per house invest up to Ks. 250,000
All advices are taken from developer/ machine suppliers
Electricity consumer society run with mutual understand
Written approval not required
Social, financial or technical record are not maintaining

20. Village HPP... DRD developed
DRD fully funded and contractor selected by tender calling
Capacity less than 20kW
O & M by community
Beneficiaries have little aware on income
Very poor specification in tender documents

21. Village HPP general comment- policy
DRD has been started 100% funded HP development last couple of years
No recording/ registration methods of projects
Local governments have supported for some projects in financing and technically
Monthly charge based on nos. of appliances or fix rate

22. Village HPP general comment- Social
Over 80% of beneficiaries are farmers and the balance is retails seller, labours(skilled, unskilled)
Businessmen, labours(skilled, unskilled)
Monthly energy consumption 4kWh- 75kWh
Major electricity usages are Lighting, Audio/ video, Phone.(rice cooker)
Freely electricity supply for community centres, School and monastery
Project manage with mutual understand and no record minutes
Project developing and purchasing through a single person or a company
Very poor safety level (not use RCCBs, MCBs or fuses)

23. Village HPP general comment- Technical
Turbine are not match for the site specification
Not use a control system (fix load/ sluice gate control)very poor quality power (150V- 260V and 35Hz to 70Hz)
Hidden cost to maintain appliances
Voltage stabilizer has to be used with TV and audio system
Project failure rate is unacceptable level and maintenance cost is very high
Over all efficiency is less than 30%
Machines life time is 3 – 10 year

24. Village HPP....Technical Locally made turbines
Little knowledge on critical aspects on turbine (speed matching, controlling, bearing selection, finishing or turbine)
Some projects abandoned due to endless failures
Poor workshop facility (very old lathe and drills)

25. Energy pricing Energy cost vary Ks. 40 -250 per kWh
Energy consumption 5kWh to 70kWh per month
Major electricity demand for 2 to 5 bulbs, TV/ Audio, phone charge , Rice cooker

26. Government Hydro power projects
DHPI has developed in 1980s and1990s
ESE tariff structure apply
Capacity is 200kW to 1500kW
Imported machineries use
11kV transmission line with multiple nos. Of step down transformers
Regularly fail bearing, generator and electronics components

27. Government Hydro power ....
Var HPP bearing fail 5 time per year
Laiva HPP diode fail few times per year
Very poor attention on maintenance activities(non of flow controller functioning)

29. Service providers(Domestic and village HPPs)
Hydro power developer
Acting as an intermediary linking villagers with equipment suppliers
Advice on technical, social and financial aspects
Supply all equipment and earn profit
Contribute for maintenance work
Machine manufacturer
Manufacture turbines, penstock(steel) panel board
Act as a developer also

30. 15yrs LCC @10% discount rate (ks/kWh) Capacity cost @ 20yrs (Ks/kW)
LCC analysis
Project
Actual power
Investment
15yrs discount rate (ks/kWh)
Capacity 20yrs (Ks/kW)
Amount(Ks)
Year
10% discounted
Domestic HPP
0.25
600,000
2014
220
6,000,000
Pan Oo Tang 25
60,000,000
2002
188,305,703
380
7,900,000
Mong In 1
5,000,000
550
12,000,000
Owe Kong 15
50,000,000
200
6,650,000
Ming In 3
500,000
860
7,500,000
Laouk Lon 10
10,000,000
2011
13,310,000
376,
4,100,000
35Ks

31. LCC analysis...
By practicing advance technology (use in developing countries)
Energy cost(ks/kWh) can be reduced up to 20% -50%
Capacity cost(Ks/kW) can be reduced upto 20% to 50% (based on 20years LCC)
Cost variation
Project cost increases 20% - 50%
Life time increase over 20 years (3 times)
O and M cost reduce upto 50%
Energy generation increase about 50%

32. Comparison with Sri Lanka HP
Community based concept
Project implementation cost
Technology
Project O & M expenses

33. Community based concept
Registering in local government as a welfare society(Electricity consumer society, ECS)
Main posts of society are adviser, president, secretary, treasurer and working committee
Maintain minutes of each meeting
General meeting calls quarterly and emergency meeting call to get special occasions
Pass the annual budget
20% to 40% project cost is in-kind labour and materials
All construction doing by members with guidance of the developer

34. Community based.. Maintain bank account and monthly saving deposits
Two of president, secretary and treasurer have to be present to withdraw money from account
ECS management has to be change annually
Knowledge sharing between ECS

37. Technology Developer Manufacturer Main components
Facilitate between villages and all other stakeholder
Manage technical, project, social and financial areas
Manufacturer
Design and manufacture according to site specification
Install and commissioning
Maintenance
Mechanical and electrical parts manufacturers
Main components
Water intake, Head race, Forebay tank Penstock, Turbine, Generator, Controller, Distribution panel, Distribution line

38. Forebay tank Short wall Trash rack Spill way Penstock Flush outs

39. Forebay tank...

40. Control system

41. Controller – ballast load

43. Project O & M expenses 10kW project, 50 HH
Monthly income (LKR 300x50) =15,000($115)
Operator salary = 6,000($46)
Monthly saving =9,000($70)
Annual saving =108,000($830)

44. Thank you