Baluchaung (2) Hydropower Station located in Loikaw, Kayah State. Photo: Ministry of Electric Power No.(1)

The conference was attended by more than 50 officials from the Ministry of Electric Power, and was co-sponsored by Siemens, Parami Energy, Rolls Royce, Voith, Wartsilla and Sarawak.

The abounding consensus at the event organized by the Singapore-based Centre for Management Technology was that there would be "no quick fixes" for Burma's power shortage.

Private investment will continue to be difficult from large companies looking for solid guarantees, said one speaker who advised that the government should carefully think through how it wants the private sector to be involved.

One audience member suggested that smaller, locally-based village schemes could be the long-term solution.

Few of Burma's 60 million people have access to electricity, with power outages common in the country's largest city of Rangoon.