Myanmar outlines alternative energy strategy

MYANMAR: Myanmar plans to cultivate jatropha on 7 million acres of land as feedstock for biodiesel plants around the country as part of a move to diversify into alternative energy sources, Director General of the Energy Department U Soe Myint said at a forum held in Singapore.

Each of the seven states and seven divisions in Myanmar is expected to plant jatropha on 500,000 acres of unused land and build their own biodiesel processing plants, Myint said, adding that a large portion of the biodiesel produced is likely to be exported to other countries.

Myanmar will also be investing in hydropower and wind energy projects. The junta-led government had earlier indicated plans to implement six hydropower projects with a total capacity of more than 4,000 MW in the country's Shan and Kachin states to help meet the country's power demand.