National Electrification Project

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The objective of the National Electrification Project is to help increase access to electricity in Myanmar. There are four components to the project, the first component being grid extension. This component will support the distribution utilities to extend distribution networks and connect communities and households to the national power grid, including through the provision of goods and materials for the expansion of existing medium voltage (‘MV’) substations and construction of new MV substations. The second component is the off-grid electrification. About 5.5 million households are estimated to remain without access to national grid by 2021. Of these, 1.3 million are in the remote Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Shan, Rakhine, Taninthayi and Sagaing States and Regions. The project’s off-grid component targets communities in these areas, located far beyond the existing national grid and unlikely to receive grid access in the next 10 or more years, and where private sector is not active due to relatively high operating costs and low ability to pay. The third component is the technical assistance and project management. This component provides support to MOEP and MLFRD to: (i) strengthen institutional capacity to implement the national electrification plan; (ii) improve the policy and regulatory framework related to electrification and renewable energy. Finally, the fourth component is the Contingent emergency response (CER). This component, with an initial allocation of zero dollars, is part of IDA’s support to an Immediate Response Mechanism (IRM) in Myanmar.