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China firm wins Myanmar approval for $3 bln refinery
Chinese state-controlled commodity trader Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co has won approval from the Myanmar government to build a long-planned $3 billion refinery in the Southeast Asian nation in partnership with local parties including the energy ministry, company executives said on Tuesday. The project, which also includes an oil terminal, storage and distribution facilities, would be one of the largest foreign investments in decades in Myanmar. Myanmar currently imports most of its fuel.
The Myanmar Investment Committee granted the Chinese firm approval to build a 100,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) refinery in the southeast coastal city of Dawei, Li Hui, a vice president of Guangdong Zhenrong and head of the company’s refining business, told Reuters. The Chinese firm will hold 70 percent of the project, and the remaining 30 percent shared by three Myanmar firms – military-linked Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, Myanmar Petrochemical Corp, an entity affiliated with the country’s energy ministry and Yangon Engineering Group, controlled by privately-run HTOO Group of Companies, Li said.
As the approval came before the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy was sworn in, Li said his firm was ready to work with the new Myanmar authorities to ensure the project gets off the ground. “We are confident (about the project) as it has taken into considerations interests from all parties and the refinery will benefit the local people as well as the economic development of the country,” said Li.
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