Toshiba has secured a contract from Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise to supply power generators and equipment for the 308MW Upper Yeywa hydropower project.

Under the contract, Toshiba’s Chinese subsidiary Toshiba Hydro power (Hangzhou) will supply four units of 77MW hydro turbine and generator units for the project. Deliveries are expected to start in March 2016.

The award is Toshiba’s second in Myanmar after the company earlier supplied a hydraulic turbine for the 28.4MW Sedawgyi hydroelectric plant in 1989.

Toshiba has to date delivered more than 2,000 hydro power generators globally with over 56,000MW of generating capacity.

China’s Zhejiang Orient Engineering is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the Upper Yeywa project, which is being built in northeast of Mandalay.

The project, which is expected to commence commercial operation in 2018, is located on the Myitnge River in the Kyaukme District of the Northern Shan State.

It features a 90m high concrete gravity dam with a crest length of 243m, a gated spillway in the dam center with a discharge capacity of 8,900 m³/s, and two power intakes.

Two headrace tunnels of 10m diameter each lead to an open-air powerhouse situated on the left bank of the river with a 280MW installed capacity.

Hydroelectricity accounts for about 75% of the total power supply in Myanmar, making it the country’s primary source of energy.

The country is planning to develop more power plants to address increasing energy needs.