A biomass gasification power plant which uses rice husks to generate electricity was opened by the Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO) in Nay Pyi Taw, said the company’s chairman, U Chit Khine.





The power plant, which is the first of its kind in Myanmar, was opened on March 23 at the Yangon-Mandalay road near Mezaligone village in Pyinmana township, Nay Pyi Taw.

“This power plant is a biomass gasification power plant which is the first and biggest in Myanmar, and is a 4th generation technology – Japan’s latest technology,” said U Chit Khine.

He added that construction of the power plant started five months ago, and it was completed in a short time thanks to the help of the Japanese government and experts.

This power plant, which cost US$4.7 million, was built with the help of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan and Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer Japanese Yanmar Company in Thilawa and its allied companies.

As this plant, which can generate 0.5 Megawatt of power, uses bio-fuel which can reduce environmental damage, the Ministry of Environment in Japan offered to help, said Executive Managing Director Mr Hiroshi Kanda from Yanmar Co., Ltd.

“As the raw material used to generate power is biomass, it helps to reduce carbon emission and that’s why the Ministry of the Environment of Japan gave special attention and helped us,” he said.

MAPCO has invested some $4.7 million in the factory, the company representative U Ye Min Aung said.

A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation added that Japan provided engineers and technical support for the construction of the factory.





“Engineers from Japan aided in factory construction, and shared their technological knowledge with us,” he said.

The Union Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Dr Aung Thu said he hoped that more factories will be built in rice-growing areas such as Ayeyarwady, Bago, Yangon, and Sagaing regions.

“Rice husk used to be discarded, but now they can be put to use. We will follow the plans, and the ministry will provide necessary support according to the policies,” he told reporters.

The electricity produced by the factory will be used within the factory, and any surplus will be distributed to the nearby villages, said U Chit Khine.

“As the country cannot produce enough electricity and the government has to supply electricity at a financial loss, we have started the biomass power generation process to generate electricity from farm waste under the new government,” he said.

The public corporation aims to launch a 2.2MW rice husk power generation factory in Kyaiklat township, Ayeyarwady Region in May, and a 1.6 MW factory in Myaungmya township in 2018, he continued.

“MAPCO will research and develop the rice husk power generation system to produce up to 20 MW,” he said.

– Translation by Win Thaw Tar and Swe Zin Moe