A
senior Chinese executive involved in Myanmar's halted Myitsone hydropower
project on Monday refuted claims by green NGOs that the dam poses a serious
threat to the environment.
According to local media, Myanmar President
Thien Sein has suspended work on the plant in the country's northern Kachin
State over concerns the dam will inundate an area roughly the size of
Singapore, submerging dozens of villages and displacing at least 10,000 people.
The project is the largest of several dams
planned for the upper reaches of the Irrawaddy River.
However, in an interview with Chinese media,
Lu Qizhou, president of China Power Investment, Myitsone's largest investor,
insisted more than 100 experts from China and Myanmar had conducted
environmental impact studies and found no cause for alarm.
"According to site investigations, vegetation
only accounts for a small part in the flooded area, and the flooded land only
accounts for 1.4 percent of the whole (Irrawaddy) basin," he said, adding
that any protected plants are already widely found outside the reservoir area.
Lu also said his company has assisted in the
resettlement of 2,146 people, while fully respecting local religious and ethnic
customs.
The Myitsone project is a joint venture
between China Power Investment, Myanmar's Ministry of Electric Power and Asia
World, a private company in Myanmar.
Lu said that China Power Investment will be
responsible for operation of the dam for 50 years, following which it will be
transferred to the Myanmar government for free. After its transfer, the Myanmar
government will have a fixed-asset increase worth tens of billions of dollars,
in addition to hundreds of billions of dollars in direct economic benefits, he
added.
"Either in terms of direct economic
benefit or indirect profit, the upstream Irrawaddy hydropower project will
significantly boost economic and social development in Myanmar," Lu said,
in answer to NGO claims that the plant will benefit only China. "In terms
of direct economic benefit, when the hydropower stations, including Myitsone,
are completed, Myanmar will gain US$54 billion through taxation, free
electricity and share dividends, far more than China Power Investment's return
during our operation period," he said.
China's Foreign Ministry on Saturday urged
consultation over the suspended project, saying the legitimate rights and
interests of companies involved should be protected.
The Myitsone project was started in December
2009. With an installed capacity of 6,000 megawatts, it is estimated to yield
29,400 million kilowatt-hours a year on completion, scheduled to be in 2019.
Lu said the project will help Myanmar's
electric industry realize leapfrog development, raise flood prevention
standards, improve infrastructure (750 km of roads will be built) and boost job
opportunities, as more than 40,000 workers will be needed during construction.
Myanmar is regarded one of few countries in
the world with abundant hydropower resources, although its current rate of
development and utilization is only 2.45 percent, compared with an average of
60 percent in developed nations.
News Desk
China Daily
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment