Myanmar’s government on Tuesday rejected a Shan state member of parliament’s proposal to shutter a Chinese-owned coal-fired power plant residents of his region say has exceeded land use specifications, severely polluted the local environment, and jeopardized their health and livelihoods, RFA reported.
Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party lawmaker Sai Tun Aye proposed the motion not to extend the operation period of the Tigyit coal-fired power plant in Shan state’s Taunggyi district to a parliamentary session in the capital Naypyidaw, citing the concerns of his constituents, but was rebuffed by Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy Khin Maung Win.
Wuxi Huaguang Electric Power Engineering Co. Ltd., a Chinese energy company specializing in coal power, operates the plant in Tigyit village. It took over Myanmar’s largest coal mine—located about 1.5 miles away—in 2002 to feed the 120-megawatt plant, which became the country’s first coal-fired power project when it went online in 2005.
TIGYIT is the first coal-fired station in Myanmar with the installed capacity of 2X60MW, which is highly thought of by its government. Photo: China National Heavy Machinery Corporation
