Back to the Map

Mae Mauk waterfall mini hydro electrification project

Decentralized village electrification by micro hydropower generation
Energy
Livelihood development

Background

In Myanmar, only about 40% of the population is connected to the national grid. The electrification rate is especially low in rural villages and in ethnic states. Most of the energy produced off-grid comes from biomass, which degrades forests and ecosystems, but Myanmar also has abundant green energy resources such as hydropower.

The project

Lin Yuang Chi mini-hydro cooperative was established in 2013 and has run the mini-hydropower system down from Mae Mauk waterfall plant since then. It now has about 700 customers spread over 13 villages. Apart from providing electricity to households, the system also provides electricity to many public service institutions and village-level enterprises. The cooperative also provides free electricity for all the street lights in the service area in all 13 villages, which has increased safety at night. In the absence of a regulatory framework for electricity prices, the cooperative has established local electricity tariffs that make the operation sustainable while being accepted by the community.

About the organization

Lin Yuang Chi mini-hydro cooperative is a public-private partnership: the company Sai Tun Hla and Brothers, founded in 2000, holds 50% of shares in the cooperative, with the rest held by the community and users. The company is a small-scale hydropower developer and operator that has implemented over 200 similar projects.

Mae Mauk Waterfall.
Photo: Sustainable Energy Associates
The financial feasibility of such projects is primarily determined by the business opportunities to use the generated electricity. Around Mae Mauk waterfall there are telecom towers, fabrication workshops, brickmaking, coffee, and poultry enterprises, which provide a major contribution to the annual revenues of the cooperative, making the investments financially viable.
Photo: Sustainable Energy Associates
Most households use electric cookers. This has reduced indoor air pollution, particularly for women and children, and has also reduced the need for firewood and reduced deforestation.
Photo: Renewable Energy Association Myanmar.
The decision to offer free or low-cost electricity for public services was taken by the Lin Yuang Chi electricity cooperative members themselves in the absence of government support or policy. Electricity offered at lower tariff bands to the health center has resulted in increased access to health services, including a marked increase in live child births.
Photo: Sustainable Energy Associates
Next project

The Ayeyarwady Dolphin Protected Area (ADPA)

Protecting the Irrawaddy Dolphin for a healthy of Ayeyarwady river

Back to the Map