Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 01 2021

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with the government, the company will Supply and Demand, which will run until
produce natural gas off Myanmar’s coast and 2034, sustainable energy sources will account
use it to supply power within the country. for 8.6% of the total energy mix, compared
This project will promote the utilisation with 3.3% today, according to the Ministry RENEWABLES
of Myanmar’s domestic gas and generate of Trade, Industry and Energy. Renewable
affordable electricity for the country, the Thai energy will account for 40.3% of South Korea’s Japan faces renewables
energy major said in a statement. nameplate generating capacity in 2034,
The project will be “our first step in reaching 77.8GWe up from 20.2GWe in 2020. question
extending our business along the gas value Coal powered generation will fall from
chain in Myanmar, following the ‘Execute 31.9% to 22.7% over the period, and nuclear With Japan committed to becoming carbon
& Expand’ strategy, which will drive the energy will decrease from 21% to 15.5% To neutral by 2050, Prime Minister Yoshihide
company toward sustainable growth,” said meet the goal, Korea plans to shut down Suga’s administration is grappling with key
Phongsthorn Thavisin, chief executive of 30 coal power plants and renovate 24 of questions over which near-term measures to
PTTEP. “This project will also support the them to run using liquefied natural gas. The take in order to reach the long-term goal.
Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan ongoing construction of seven power plants That in turn, has touched off a debate over
and its Energy Master Plan, which aims for will copntinue, but older facilities will be whether more renewable energy or more
all households to have access to electricity by prohibited from operating during the spring nuclear power is the best way to provide a
2030.” season when air quality is poor. safe, stable, secure and green energy supply by
The Myanmar government, led by State The ministry said it would maintain the middle of the century.
Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San the nuclear phase-out policy, which entails The current energy plan, adopted by the
Suu Kyi, wants to resolve the country’s power building no new plants while retiring old ones. Cabinet in July 2018, calls for renewable
shortages to improve people’s standard of Under the plan, the number of nuclear plants sources to provide between 22% and 24% of
living and promote economic development by in the country will decrease to 17, compared Japan’s electricity by 2030, and for nuclear
attracting manufacturers. PTTEP’s investment with 24 operating in 2020. While two more energy to provide between 20% and 22%.
will provide a boost to the country’s effort to nuclear plants are under construction, the On December 25, the government
expand its power generation capacity. ministry said the number will fall after announced that it was aiming to have
PTTEP’s $2bn investment plan includes reaching the peak of 26 in 2022. The lifespan renewable energy supply between 50% and
the development of natural gas fields off of ten existing plants will not be extended, the 60% of the nation’s electricity by 2050 – nearly
Myanmar’s coast, the construction of a gas- ministry said. a threefold increase over current use. Nuclear
fired power plant with a generation capacity of Separately, the Nuclear Promotion power and fossil fuels using carbon capture
about 600MW, a 370km pipeline from the gas Commission, presided over by the prime and storage are expected to account for 30%
field to the power plant, and a transmission minister, approved a government plan to to 40%, with hydrogen making up much of
line from the plant to Yangon. The power spend KRW500bn ($456mn) over the next the remainder. The plan is to keep nuclear
plant will be built about 60km southwest of five years on nuclear decommissioning and power as a main source of energy despite calls
Yangon, the country’s largest city. waste management, in tandem with the to raise the share of renewable energy sources
PTTEP plans to finalise its decision on the country‘s nuclear phase-out policy. even further.
investment in early 2022 after conducting a
detailed study, the company said.
There are currently four offshore gas
fields in Myanmar, and PTTEP holds an 80%
stake in one of them, which is already in
operation. It holds an 80% stake in another
block that it is developing with Japanese
energy development company Mitsui Oil
Exploration, which holds the other 20%.

RENEWABLES

South Korea to increase
renewables and scale back

coal and nuclear

South Korea said on 28 December that it will
gradually diversify its energy mix by using
more sustainable sources, such as solar power,
and scale back the use of coal and nuclear,
in line with its target to achieve zero carbon
emissions by 2050.
Under the Ninth Basic Plan for Electricity

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