26^th October, 2020

             The Singapore International Energy Week 2020 (SIEW 2020) is being held from 26 to 30 October and Union Minister for Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing attended the videoconference from his office in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.

             At the ceremony, Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing delivered an opening remark.

             The first programme of SIEW 2020 was held under the topic “Singapore Energy Summit: Transitioning to Our Low Carbon Energy Future” with the panellists as the Union Minister U Win Khaing, Singaporean Minister for the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Tan See Leng, Indonesian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Mr Afrifin Tasrif, JERA Asia Pte Ltd CEO Mr Toshiro Kudama, ENGIE Asia-Pacific President & Regional CEO Mr Paul Maguire, Shell Singapore Companies Chairman Ms Aw Kah Peng, SP PowerGrid Limited CEO Mr Jimmy Khoo, and Utilities Lead, Resources, Southeast Asia Accenture MD Mr Lim Chih Shoong. They discussed the unpredictable consequences of COVID-19 on energy requirement and the economy, choosing security and renewable energy to revitalize the global economy in the future, sustaining the drop in air pollution due to COVID-19, the importance of transboundary electric transmission lines for energy development in Asia and reducing carbon emissions, and the importance of governments, investors and the public collaborating to reduce carbon emissions.

             Union Minister U Win Khaing said the use of natural gases is important for Asia-Pacific Region, Asia leading in solar panel production and energy storage, how it develops Asia’s clean and renewable energy, how electric consumption increases with Asia’s economic development, aiming for solar and wind energy to count for 37% of renewable energy in Asia by 2040, and how renewable energy can contribute to remedying COVID-19 effects and create jobs for local people.

             Myanmar gets 50% of its energy from hydropower and the other half from natural gas and energy requirement rises by 15% to 19% every year. The nation currently generates 55% of required energy and is aiming to generate 75% by 2025. LNG electric production of 3000MW was permitted in 2018 and Myanmar started LNG electric production in September 2020 with construction of the Minbu 40MW solar plant started in 2019.

             Myanmar called auctions for tender for 1000MW solar power plant in 30 areas to take advantage of its geographical location and continuing work with companies that won the tender. The nation is aiming to supply 14% of national electric production by 2021 and is discussing transboundary transmission lines with neighbouring countries to sell energy and inviting foreign companies to invest in the energy sector. Later in the evening, the Union Minister held a bilateral meeting with Dr Tan See Leng via video conferencing. They discussed the current Myanmar-Singapore bilateral electricity and energy sector and cooperation, increasing oil and natural gas production, investing in renewable energy, cooperating in the energy policy programme to develop human resources, the transboundary electric distribution, and support to approve ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase-2 (2021-2025).

MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)