[{"bbox": [97, 153, 1164, 445], "category": "Text", "text": "energy-efficient products for households needs (e.g. cooking, lighting, communication). In the meantime these activities shall be accompanied by the development of business opportunities, in particular for women entrepreneur, leading to improved livelihoods. The action contributes to the realisation of the European Green Deal² and EU's Gender Action Plan III³, in particular regarding the 'Thematic area - Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women'. The action is also fully aligned with the new EU External Energy Strategy⁴ as it reinforces EU's engagement with its partners to boost energy savings, energy efficiency and development of renewables. The SENTRUM project is expected to have a global tangible impact on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (with 4.400 tCO2 avoided per year compared to Business as Usual prospective scenario). This will be achieved through an improved access to renewable electricity and sustainable energy solutions for businesses and poor households in rural Myanmar as renewable energy generation capacity will be installed and sustainable energy solutions will be promoted."}, {"bbox": [97, 496, 1164, 548], "category": "Text", "text": "This action contributes to SDG 1. \"No Poverty\", SDG 7. \"Affordable and Clean Energy\", SDG 5. \"Gender equality\" and SDG 13. \"Climate Action\"."}, {"bbox": [85, 579, 323, 610], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 644, 234, 671], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [97, 692, 1133, 932], "category": "Text", "text": "Myanmar is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change⁵. Although hydropower and biomass are the main sources of energy, fossil fuels are still used to a large extent (coal and gas power plants, diesel for water pumps, etc.). Climate change mitigation through the reduction of fossil fuel consumption should therefore be an important element of socio-economic development. In this regard, the access to clean electricity is an important element. Previous governments were able to provide access to electricity to around 50% of the population, although the electricity system remained weak and unstable. The lack of priority, strategy and means of the de-facto authorities has stopped the progress in this sector. Access to energy in rural areas is especially critical in the present Myanmar context, since the share of Myanmar's population living in poverty in rural areas has increased a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic and the political crisis."}, {"bbox": [97, 957, 1133, 1064], "category": "Text", "text": "As mentioned above, Myanmar's primary energy sources are foremost biomass and hydropower⁶. Approximately 65% of the total primary energy consumption of the country comes from biomass sources⁷; mostly obtained from the forest and agriculture sectors. The vast majority of Myanmar's population relies on biomass for cooking and a large share uses kerosene, candles and batteries for their daily lighting needs."}, {"bbox": [97, 1089, 1133, 1250], "category": "Text", "text": "75% of Myanmar's electricity is produced by hydroelectricity. The rest is generated from fossil fuels, with gas as the main fuel (20.5%) followed by coal and oil⁸. In 2017, Myanmar had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 5 gigawatts (GW). The country planned to achieve 100% electrification by 2030 and is targeting 12% of all electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2025⁹. Myanmar's energy consumption per capita is one of the lowest in Southeast Asia due to the low electrification rate and widespread poverty. An estimated 62% of the population is still not connected to the national grid and even more so in rural areas¹⁰."}, {"bbox": [85, 1302, 891, 1327], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² Communication and roadmap on the European Green Deal, COM (2019) 640 final, 11.12.2019."}, {"bbox": [85, 1327, 1143, 1376], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ Joint Communication: Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025, An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women's empowerment in EU external action, SWD(2020) 284 final, 25.11.2020"}, {"bbox": [85, 1376, 235, 1398], "category": "Footnote", "text": "4 JOIN(52022)23"}, {"bbox": [85, 1398, 1006, 1424], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵ According to the Climate risk index for 2000-2019, Myanmar is the most vulnerable country after Porto Rico"}, {"bbox": [85, 1424, 532, 1448], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ https://ourworldindata.org/energy/country/myanmar"}, {"bbox": [85, 1448, 1143, 1499], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁷ Biomass Energy: An Overview of Biomass Sources, Energy Potential, and Management in Southeast Asian Countries (https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/8/2/81/htm#B28-resources-08-00081)"}, {"bbox": [85, 1499, 615, 1523], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ Myanmar\". www.iea.org. International Energy Agency (IEA)."}, {"bbox": [85, 1523, 1143, 1569], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ \"Renewable energy law in the works to speed up development\". The Myanmar Times. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019"}, {"bbox": [85, 1569, 1143, 1618], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁰ Myanmar Beyond Connections, Energy Access Diagnostic report based on the Multi-Tier Framework, World Bank, ESMAP 2019."}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1143, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 20"}]