24 Hours After the Earthquake: Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project Works Ceaselessly to Restore Power Supply in the Affected Areas

2025-03-28

At 12:51 PM on March 28, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar, causing severe damage to power grid infrastructure across the country. The Myanmar Thaketa 110MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, a key energy project in Myanmar, faced a critical situation when the grid collapsed, triggering unit trips and a total plant blackout. In response, Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project team swiftly activated its emergency plan and, after nearly 16 hours of relentless efforts, successfully restored power at 4:10 AM the following day. This rapid restoration provided crucial electricity support for post-disaster relief and public welfare, earning high praise and recognition from Myanmar Ministry of Electric Power and the project owner.

As the earthquake struck, the project team swiftly initiated the "wartime response" mechanism

At noon on the 28th, the powerful earthquake damaged the main transmission lines of Myanmar’s national power grid, instantly cutting off the external power supply from Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project. This triggered unit trips and a total plant blackout. Facing the sudden crisis, the project team immediately activated its top-level emergency response mechanism. Operators swiftly isolated faulty equipment and started backup diesel generators to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for the plant’s security systems. The safety team urgently evacuated all personnel from the office building and dormitory area to the open basketball court, conducted a headcount, and checked for injuries. Meanwhile, the maintenance and operations teams carried out a thorough inspection of key facilities, including the natural gas pipelines, circulating water system, and pumps, to prevent secondary hazards such as leaks or structural displacement.

"From the moment of the blackout to gaining initial control of the situation, the entire process took less than 30 minutes," said the manager of Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project. Repeated emergency drills and a well-structured division of responsibilities played a crucial role in securing valuable time for the restoration efforts.

Emergency Operations at the Limits Amid Grid Fluctuations

‌Although the equipment within Thaketa Power Plant quickly regained stability, the restoration progress of the national grid was far slower than expected. Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project maintained real-time communication with the Myanmar Power Dispatch Center, remaining on standby for grid reconnection at any moment. However, during the restoration process that night, Myanmar’s power system suffered two complete grid collapses and a severe frequency fluctuation, causing multiple unit trips during the plant’s startup phase.

"This is like trying to ignite a fire on a turbulent ship—every step must be precisely controlled," described the shift supervisor of Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project. Confronted with extreme instability in Myanmar’s power grid, the O&M team adopted a "small, rapid steps" strategy: during brief windows of grid recovery, equipment was started in batches; the moment any voltage or frequency anomaly was detected, protective shutdowns were executed to prevent equipment damage. Throughout the restoration efforts, project leaders and operators remained stationed in the central control room overnight, manually adjusting hundreds of parameters to ensure the units remained in a safe state despite repeated startups and shutdowns.

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16-Hour Struggle to Illuminate the "Lifeline" of the Disaster Area

‌At 3:33 AM on March 29, with the initial repair of the main transmission line, Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project successfully synchronized its units to the grid. However, the challenge was far from over—frequent aftershocks caused continued fluctuations in the grid, with voltage frequency fluctuating like a roller coaster from 48Hz to 51.9Hz. Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project quickly shifted into "wartime monitoring" mode, dynamically adjusting power generation loads according to the system frequency and employing a flexible power supply strategy to best accommodate the fragile grid. It is reported that the Myanmar Thaketa Power Plant was responsible for 30% of Yangon’s emergency power load after the earthquake, providing strong electrical support for disaster relief operations, communication stations, and water supply systems.

Currently, Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project team remains in a 24-hour critical power supply status. The project team has implemented rotating shifts for various specialists to reserve energy for potential ongoing aftershock challenges. As the manager of Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project stated, "Every light that lights up in the earthquake-stricken area is our highest respect for life."

In the face of the earthquake disaster, Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project team has always upheld the principle of "people first, life first," swiftly carrying out seismic disaster relief and power supply protection work. They have demonstrated the responsibility and commitment of power construction professionals, safeguarding the lifeline of power supply. Myanmar Thaketa O&M Project team achieved the goal of "zero human accidents, zero equipment damage" through "minute-level" emergency response and efficient collaborative efforts. This has earned high recognition and praise from the project owner and Myanmar Ministry of Electric Power, further enhancing the company's brand awareness and influence in Myanmar's power market. It also holds positive significance for the regional and scalable development of the company's O&M business in the local area.