Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management

Seven hydropower plants are planned to be constructed in the Upper Ayeyarwady River Basin and Myitsone is the largest of them. Currently, only 33 per cent of Myanmar{u2019}s population has access to electricity, therefore finding new sources of energy is essential. In this research, the current flow regime of the Ayeyarwady River at Myitkyina Hydrological Station, just below the proposed Myitsone Reservoir and powerhouse was analyzed. The flow shows great seasonal variation and the long term trend line shows a reduction is flows over the years. Then the effects on natural flow regime due to the construction and operation of the Myitsone hydropower station and Dam were analyzed. It is found that the operations of Myitsone Reservoir will not greatly alter the flow regime of the Ayeyarwady River. This can be attributed to the larger discharge capacity of the powerhouse and the spillways. Three logical future scenarios were also analyzed and the results show that the Myitsone reservoir is more resilient for future changes in inflows and downstream flow demands. An annual reduction of 20% of inflows to the reservoir will only reduce the annual power generation by 10%. At the same time, increasing the pool level of the reservoir by 3m will only increase the power generation by a mere 2%.