Singapore-based Sembcorp has inaugurated the 225MW combined-cycle gas turbine plant, Sembcorp Myingyan Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Mandalay, Myanmar.
Image: Sembcorp claims to have invested nearly $310m in the power plant. Photo courtesy of Karsten W. Rohrbach/Freeimages.com
Developed, owned and operated by Sembcorp, the power plant is considered to be one of the largest in the country and the plant’s inauguration is a milestone in the country’s power sector. It is also the company’s first competitively-tender independent power plant in the country.
With an output of 225MW, the power plant is outfitted with advanced technology to maximize power output while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Operations at the project began last October and it will generate about 1.5TWh of electricity every year, which will be enough to meet the power needs of around 5.3 million people.
Sembcorp claims to have invested nearly $310m in the power plant and it was funded by multilateral institutions like the Asian Development bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as international commercial lenders, including Clifford Capital, DBS Bank, DZ Bank and Oversea-Chinese Banking.
Sembcorp Industries group president and CEO Neil McGregor said: “Sembcorp is pleased to inaugurate our first power plant in Myanmar, which also marks the first fruits of the country’s public-private partnership framework for energy projects.
“The Sembcorp Myingyan plant is a state-of-the-art, efficient facility that signals a new era of advancement for Myanmar’s power sector. This project demonstrates Sembcorp’s ability to serve as an integrator that brings together finance, technology, as well as technical and operational expertise to solve infrastructure challenges for the benefit of society, and for the betterment of people’s lives.”
It is also the first facility in the country have integrated thermal and renewable power generation. Besides this, the plant is also the first have solar panels integrated into its premises. The plant’s administrative building and warehouse rooftop have are equipped with 106kW solar panels, with potentially more to come.
Sembcorp Myingyan Power Company managing director Dennis Foo said: “The success of Sembcorp Myingyan would not have been possible without the favourable reception of the local community, which has supported us throughout the project. Sembcorp is here for the long term and we look forward to continuing open, proactive engagement with nearby residents and to working with them in meaningful initiatives that make a lasting positive impact.”