Myanmar energy markets long-term outlook 2018: will infrastructure access constrain demand growth?

Despite being endowed with rich energy resources, Myanmar remains an energy poor nation. Its abundant energy resources, particularly in hydropower and gas resources, are being leveraged for export, while domestic energy needs remain under served. Myanmar has one of the lowest electrification ratio among ASEAN countries. In major cities where there is a relatively deep electricity penetration, frequent blackouts continue to hamper economic growth and development. In addition, Myanmar is subject to upward of 20% losses annually, some through transmission and distribution and others down to non-technical challenges such as illegal electricity use and poor metering. The uncertainty surrounding long term commercial interest in Myanmar adds a significant degree of uncertainty to our forecast.