Reconstruction and repair work is underway at the Upper Yeywa Hydropower Project, which suffered extensive damage as a result of attacks by armed terrorist groups during June 2024.

The attacks targeted the project headquarters in Kyaukme and facilities at the Upper Yeywa Hydropower Project construction site. Damaged or stolen property included buildings, State-owned vehicles and heavy machinery, construction equipment, generators, quality control office equipment, meteorological and hydrological monitoring instruments, imported electrical and mechanical equipment, substations, transmission lines, transformers and related components.

One office building at the Kyaukme project headquarters and one staff residence at the Upper Yeywa project site were also destroyed by fire. Restoration and reconstruction work is currently being carried out at both locations.

The attacks caused losses estimated at K800 million at the Kyaukme project headquarters, while damage to buildings, civil construction materials, machinery, vehicles, substations and transmission lines at the Upper Yeywa Hydropower Project is estimated at around K26 billion.

Detailed inspections and cost assessments of damaged imported electrical and mechanical equipment are being conducted jointly by the contracted foreign company and departmental engineers. Following improved security conditions, mine clearance operations were completed, the reconstruction of the damaged office and staff housing at the Kyaukme project headquarters was finished during the 2025-2026 financial year. Transformer reinstallation and transmission line repairs will continue once power from the national grid is restored to Kyaukme.

At the Upper Yeywa Hydropower Project site, repair and upgrading works for access roads, the project office and staff housing, water and electricity supply systems, and construction power lines have been underway since the 2026-2027 financial year. Further restoration of damaged facilities will continue with funding from the Union budget.

The 280-megawatt Upper Yeywa Hydropower Project is located on the Dokhtawady (Myitnge) River near Taungchay Village, about 20 miles south of Kyaukme in northern Shan State.

The project was launched in the 2010-2011 financial year and has now reached 53.95 per cent completion. It is scheduled for completion during the 2029-2030 financial year. Upon completion, the project is expected to generate an average of 1,409 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, supplying power through the national grid to approximately 3.7 million people across Shan State and other parts of Myanmar.

The government and the Ministry of Electricity and Energy are continuing to accelerate the implementation of power generation projects to help meet the country’s growing electricity demand.

MNA/KTZH

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