Myanmar’s new government is aiming to complete the controversial $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project in northern Kachin State within roughly eight years, according to two sources familiar with remarks made by Khet Htein Nan, who heads the state administration.
The comments followed a recent visit to China by junta chief-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing, during which he reportedly returned from discussions last month. Beijing has long supported the large hydropower project in Myanmar’s northernmost and conflict-affected region.
The halt angered China, but resentment at its deep influence in Myanmar and environmental concerns about flooding an area roughly the size of Singapore prevailed over plans to export 90% of the 6 gigawatts of generated power to the giant neighbour.
That capacity would rank Myitsone among Southeast Asia’s largest hydropower projects, though still dwarfed by the likes of China’s Three Gorges Dam, with installed capacity of 22.5 GW.
Project resumption figured in talks during Min Aung Hlaing’s China visit, a spokeswoman for the presidential office told reporters, adding it could provide more than half the 10 GW of power required by a country woefully short of electricity.
The government is weighing concerns over flooding and displacement voiced by local communities, said the spokeswoman, Khaing Khaing Soe.
Revived Project Could Cost More Than Three Times Original
A revived Myitsone dam could cost $11.5 billion, or more than three times its 2009 price tag, based on the International Renewable Energy Agency’s most recent estimate of average construction costs of $1,914 a kilowatt for Asian hydropower projects outside China and India.
Min Aung Hlaing’s government, which took power in April after a widely criticised election won by a military-aligned political party, is working to resurrect the project, said three officials, including the Kachin State lawmaker.
The move comes amid a civil war triggered by a 2021 coup in which the military, led by Min Aung Hlaing, deposed the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who had also opposed the Myitsone dam.
State leader Khet Htein Nan has reiterated the government’s backing for the Myitsone dam project during discussions in Myitkyina, about 37 km from the site, according to two sources familiar with the talks.
At a June 23 meeting, he said China now had technology to address environmental risks, with one source quoting him as saying there was “nothing to worry about.” Another source said he described the project as a potential “historic achievement” and noted Beijing’s strong support for its resumption.
Concerns over the dam’s safety have grown following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in March that killed thousands in central Myanmar, raising questions about building a large structure in a seismically active region.
Resistance Continues
Khet Htein Nan’s private comments coincide with the government’s push to revitalise project support in an area now controlled by the military.
After former deputy military chief Soe Win visited Myitkyina in December for talks with local authorities, at least 26 public meetings across Kachin State backed the project, said two members of a government-supported committee.
But opposition continues, with 49 civil society groups recently calling for total cessation of the project.
(With inputs from Reuters)
