Korea South-East Power Launches Emissions Reduction Project in Myanmar

Korea South-East Power (KOEN) has launched an emissions reduction project in Myanmar under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The project calls for distributing a total of 90,000 high-efficiency cooking stoves in Myanmar over the next five years.

The main heat source for cooking in Myanmar is wood combustibles. Yet cooking with fire wood causes desertification and does serious harm to health.

KOEN’s plan is to provide cooking stoves with better efficiency to save the forests, improve the kitchen environment and enhance the quality of life for the community.

High-efficiency cooking stoves improve heat efficiency by more than 20% and produce less carbon emissions. The project generates Certified Emission Reduction units (CERs) which may be traded in emissions trading schemes..

This is the first project by Korean companies to cut greenhouse emissions abroad since the guidelines for external CDM projects were modified by the Ministry of Environment in May.

An official of KOEN commented, “As the cooking stove distribution project is registered as a UN CDM project, we can make a contribution to developing countries and secure CERs.” He added, “We anticipate a rise in the quality of life for people in the community and an increase in job opportunities.”