Electricity production

The government should invest more in sustainable energy, with a focus on solar power, experts told a conference on energy security yesterday, adding that this could reduce Cambodia’s dependence on large-scale hydropower projects and coal-fired plants. ...

Scientists warn that plans to build dams across Tonlé Sap, south-east Asia’s greatest lake, could be an ecological timebomb threatening the food security of millions. In a few months’ time, monsoon rains will more than quadruple the size of Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap, south-east Asia’s greatest lake ...

Cambodia’s electricity generation reached 2.714 billion kilowatt hours last year, of which 1.851 million KWh was generated by hydro dams and 863.02 million KWh by coal-powered plants. Household access to electricity rose 18.8 percent, compared to 2013, according a report from Cambodia’s Electricity Authority.    ...

Cambodia has inaugurated its sixth Chinese-built hydropower plant, bringing the country’s total power supplies by dams of up to 927 megawatts. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen stood up for Cambodia’s energy policy yesterday at the inauguration of the Stung Tatai hydropower dam in Koh Kong province, even going so far as to label opponents of hydropower technology “extremists”. ...

The $540 million Tatay River hydropower plant was inaugurated yesterday in Koh Kong, making it the second hydropower plant in the province after the Russei Chrum Krom River plant opened earlier this year. ...

Cambodia’s prime minister defended his government’s energy policy on Wednesday and hit back at environmentalists opposed to hydropower plants by suggesting their electricity be cut off and they should use resin torches instead. ...

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday threatened to cut off electricity from the homes of “environmental extremists” who oppose development projects in the country, drawing condemnation from critics who said his government should focus on sustainability and providing services to the people. ...

Over 200 people gathered on Friday from across Cambodia to join in a campaign against the construction of the Don Sahong Dam, which has been ongoing in the past month on one of the major channels of the Mekong at the Cambodia-Lao border. The campaign, ...

Households displaced by the massive Lower Sesan II hydropower dam project in Stung Treng province are being under-compensated by as much as $80,000, according to a new study.The research, published by the Rivers Coalition of Cambodia and led by political aspirant Kem Ley, found that ...

A Stanford University study conducted in Cambodia has shed new light on the natural introduction of the poison arsenic into groundwater – an established problem in Cambodia that could be exacerbated by hydrological development, particularly dams, researchers say.According to a report on their findings, published ...

Tycoon Ly Yong Phat’s L.Y.P. Group is talking with the Thai government’s Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo) to supply Thailand with 2,000 megawatts from his planned Koh Kong coal-fired power plant, and hopes to sign a deal early next year. ...

As the global economy faces a challenging growth environment, developed and least developed countries are increasingly competing for export markets to spur growth, with many – like Cambodia – aiming to diversify markets as well as products. Cambodia has relied primarily on exports of ...

The fate of 70 million people rests on what happens to the Mekong river. With world leaders meeting in Paris next week for crucial UN climate talks, John Vidal journeys down south-east Asia’s vast waterway – a place that encapsulates some of the dilemmas they ...

Russia will help Cambodia work towards building a nuclear power plant under an agreement the two countries signed this week, said Sergei Kirienko, the head of state nuclear firm Rosatom. ...

In the wake of mass flooding, the company behind Cambodia’s first major hydropower dam used a government visit last week to distance itself from recent controversies and quell fears about the project’s alleged downsides.In September, Kampot province experienced widespread flooding that left thousands temporarily homeless ...

The Chinese company that operates the hydroelectric power plant on the Kamchay River in Kampot province yesterday denied that a decision to open the dam’s gates during a recent storm was the cause of severe flooding in the area. ...

A hand-painted sign nailed to a tree at the entrance of Sre Ko village along the southern banks of the Se San River in Stung Treng province greets visitors with a disturbing message – one made even more alarming by the seemingly tranquil environment and ...

Cambodia continues to struggle to adopt a balanced approach to its energy needs, according to a report released by the World Energy Council (WEC) today. ...

Villagers in northern Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province on Tuesday urged the government to suspend construction of a Chinese-backed dam until they are promised compensation for flooding they say will inundate area communities, forests and farmland if the project is allowed to proceed. ...

Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong asked Laos’ deputy prime minister for further study of the Don Sahong hydropower dam before construction begins during a meeting with the envoy in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. ...

Cambodia has a poor electrical grid, but plenty of sun—making it a perfect candidate for more solar power. But the sector remains small, particularly for rural use and farms, where it would be very useful. ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen called for all gasoline local companies to cut their prices in line with falling world prices for oil. ...

The greatest barrier to bringing solar power to Cambodia’s villages is not the cost, the lack of trained engineers, or the lack of equipment, analysts say. The SNV is only funded for the next three years. Mr. Barbian said he hopes the government will be ...