The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an US$80m loan to upgrade the electricity transmission ring line system around Yangon (Myanmar) to 230 kV, improving power supply to more than one million customers. The Power Transmission Improvement Project will upgrade the Thida-Thaketa-Kyaikasan transmission ring lines from 66 kV to 230 kV and construct two new substations at South Okkalapa and West University. This will complete the critical 230 kV ring for Yangon straddling the substations of Ahlone, Thida, Thaketa, South Okkalapa, Hlawga, Myang Tagar, West University, Hlaing Thayar and back to Ahlone. The work will complement associated upgrades being done by the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise.
The Myanmar government has drawn up a development masterplan to meet its soaring energy consumption (expected to rise by more than 9%/year through 2030) in a context of rapid economic growth (around 7.8%/year over the next decade).