[Suspended] China Development Bank provides loan for 3400MW Chipwi Hydropower Plant Project (Linked to Record ID#67698)

Project narrative

A joint venture — called Upstream Ayeyawady Confluence Basin Hydropower Co., Ltd (ACHC) — was established by China State Power Investment Corporation (80% ownership stake), the Ministry of Electric Power of Myanmar (15% ownership stake), and Asia World Co., Ltd. (5% ownership stake) on June 3, 2010 to implement the 3400MW Chipwi Hydropower Plant Project. Then, at the fourth meeting of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and Yunnan Provincial General Chambers of Commerce (YPGCC) in 2014, it was reported that China Development Bank had issued a loan in support of the 3400MW Chipwi Hydropower Plant Project. Detailed information about this transaction is not available. The purpose of the project was to construct a dam and 3400MW hydroelectric power plant about 150 km from Myitkyina City and about 10 km from Chipwi Village. The dam site (locational coordinates are 25.946552215783782, 98.14994373866016) is on the N’mai River in Mandung village, ten miles from the town of Chibwe within Kachin State. The 3400MW Chipwi Hydropower Plant Project would be the last project in the N’Mai cascade before joining the Mali River at the Myitsone site. Its 206 meter high dam would create a reservoir storing 1,910 hm3 and inundating 28 km2 over a distance of 56 km. Preparatory works for the project commenced in December 2010. These works included infrastructure to support the hydropower station, such as roads, water supply, electricity (Chipwi Nge HPP), telecommunications as well as land leveling. However, work was later suspended due to a local conflict situation in the area, including opposition to the dam. The implementing agency for the project reports that on on April 26, 2012 the project was suspended due to armed conflicts in North Myanmar. As of 2019, the project was still suspended.