YANGON DIVISION – Due to insufficient power supply, the townships in Yangon have been divided into three groups and electricity will be supplied on a 4 hours on, 8 hours off system, announced the Yangon Division Electricity Power Corporation.
Starting January 5, as the power supply can no longer fulfill the system of sharing electricity between two groups of townships in Yangon, the new system of 4 hours on, 8 hours off will be adapted, according to official notices from relevant township electricity offices.
“Before, townships are divided in to A and B groups but now they will be divided in to A, B and C groups, switching to a 4 hours on, 8 hours off system. Each group will only receive 8 hours of electricity per day while the electricity will be off for the other 16 hours. This system will be used throughout this month. If the repairs on the gas pipe lines manage to increase the power supply, the electricity distributed might increase next year. But as we are entering the hot season where hydro power plants fall in production, it might be more difficult to get the power supply,” said an employee from a township electricity office.
Although the national electricity requirement per day is 5,443 Mega Watts, only around 1,700 Mega Watts can be produced, just barely over 30% of the national requirement. The main reason for the drop in supply is due to the significant decreased production from gas plants, owing to the damages to the Yadanar offshore natural gas pipes. On the other hand, the hydro plants damaged in the floods year are still not repaired and as the electricity production from hydro plants is expected to fall in the hot season, it is expected that the electricity supply from hydro plants could fall under 30%.
Meanwhile, Yangon residents complained that the electricity supplied by the junta council is only available around 3 hours a day as the situation worsens significantly.
