Cambodia approves four PV projects totaling 140 MW

Cambodia’s council of ministers announced Friday that it has approved four new large-scale solar power projects with 140 MW of total capacity.

The projects, which were submitted by local group Schneitec Infinite, Chinese panel maker Risen Energy, Ray Power Supply, and Green Sustainable Ventures, will be constructed on a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) basis.

A 20 MW solar park will be located in the Bavet province, while another 60 MW project will be built in the Battambang province, and two additional 30 MW facilities will being installed in the provinces of Pursat and Banteay Meanchey.

The Cambodian government also revealed that the 60 MW solar park in Kampong Chhnang, which was tendered at the beginning of this year, may reach completion in August. The project is the first phase of a 100 MW National Solar Park project that was launched in June 2017.

All of these projects are part of the government’s strategy to respond to the country's increasing energy demand. According to Cambodian authorities, electricity demand in the country is expected to grow from its current 1.5 GW to 2.3 GW by 2020, and 2.8 GW megawatts by 2021. So far, power imports from Laos, Vietnam and Thailand are helping the country meet its growing demand.

Cambodia currently has just one operational solar park, a 10 MW project by Singapore’s Sunseap in Bavet, a special economic zone of Cambodia in the Svay Rieng province, near its border with Vietnam.

Cambodia issued new rules for the integration of solar in January 2018. The country’s power demand is currently covered by hydropower and coal, which account for around 48% and 47% of generation, respectively.