Over 500 Megawatts of Clean Power Projects Approved
Photo taken on Dec. 16, 2018 shows the Lower Sesan II Hydropower Station in Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. Photo by Xinhua
- By Ou Sokmean
- April 7, 2023 7:47 PM
PHNOM PENH – Renewable energy projects with a total power of 520MW have been approved to provide clean energy and reduce fuel consumption.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Hun Sen on April 7.
One project is a 170MW hydropower dam, which combines the Stung Russey Chrum Kandal Hydropower Project (70MW) in the Mondul Seima district with the Stung Veal Thmar Kambot Hydropower Project (100MW) in the Thmar Baing district of Koh Kong province, government spokesperson Phay Siphan said.
The other four are development projects for solar power stations, including Pursat province's 150MW project, Kampong Chhnang province's 60MW project, Svay Rieng province's 60MW project and Prey Veng province's 80MW project.
The government has approved the investment of 520 megawatts to provide clean energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, protect the environment, natural resources and take action against climate change.
Cambodia will receive additional power sources to address the grid shortages as studied in the Master Plan 2022-2040. These projects will contribute to increasing the electricity supply to 24 billion kilowatt-hours by 2025.
It could reach 36 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 and 50 billion kilowatt-hours by 2035, reaching 66 billion kilowatt-hours by 2040.
Stung Russey Chrum Kandal Hydropower Plant, which has a large reservoir, will help store rainwater during the rainy season. In particular, it reduces the risk of water leakage and penalties for not generating electricity at Stung Russey Chrum Krom hydropower plant during the rainy season.
The reservoir stores this water for electricity generation at Stung Russey Chrum Kandal hydropower plant in the dry season and drains the stored water to Stung Russey Chrum Krom Hydropower Plant below to generate additional electricity in the dry season for 122 million kilowatt-hours per year.
From these five state investment projects, the government will receive a total tax revenue of $322 million. This income does not include other tax revenues such as payroll tax, withholding tax and other indirect taxes, as well as other taxes that EDC and other distributors have to pay.
From 2026, Cambodia plans to invest more than $6.5 billion in hydropower projects, solar power projects, battery storage systems, and power sources from natural gas and biomass power sources, according to the master plan for the energy development in Cambodia issued in September 2022 by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Teng Yalirozy for Cambodianess.
