Myanmar is accelerating efforts to increase its use of renewable energy in accordance with plans made by ASEAN countries earlier this year to cooperate in the development of sustainable energy policies, the Ministry of Energy said last week.

“According to the plan made at the 22nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, every ASEAN country needs to increase the application of renewable energy to at least 10 per cent of its total energy usage,” said the Deputy Minister of Energy, Brigadier General Than Htay.

The meeting was held on June 9 in Manila, the Philippines.

As part of Myanmar’s efforts to achieve these goals, Brigadier General Than Htay attended a biofuel conference – organised by the Thai government and held in Bangkok from August 30-31 – to study the feasibility of using biofuel technologies in Myanmar.

The conference was aimed at studying alternatives to oil, which last week rose above the US$50 a barrel mark.

Substituting the use of finite fossil fuels such as oil and coal with biofuel – produced from organic agricultural matter – will lead to energy security and environmentally sound sustainable development, said Brigadier General Than Htay.

The Bangkok conference was attended by delegates from Brazil, Germany, Japan, China, South Korea and all ASEAN countries except Brunei.

Methods of converting cassava, palm oil, coconut and sugarcane into biofuel were discussed at the conference.

The Myanmar government, along with the private sector and relevant non-government organisations, has also sought ways to increase the use of energy derived from solar, wind, hydro and other renewable sources, said Brigadier General Than Htay.

The Ministry of Energy has also developed vehicles that run on natural gas to reduce the use of diesel engines in the country.

This month the ministry will introduce 200 of these vehicles to the roads of upper Myanmar and 50 to lower Myanmar.