Smart grid dashboard Cambodia

Can solar power help Cambodia achieve national electrification goals?

Searching for alternative options, Cambodia joins a growing list of national governments who have come around to seeing solar and other distributed, emissions-free renewable energy resources as a cost-effective means of achieving national electrification, as well as national and international climate change and renewable energy, goals.

How many energy projects are coming to Cambodia?

The Cambodian Cabinet approved four energy projects this past April, a US$231 million hydroelectric power and three solar power projects with a combined, rated, maximum power capacity of 140 MW. The latter are expected to come online and dispatch power to the national grid by 2020 and 2021 in four different provinces.

Why are Cambodians investing in solar energy?

Cambodian households and businesses are also increasingly investing in behind-the-meter (BTM) solar energy systems as they’re much easier and faster to deploy and costs are lower than utility grid rates, market analysts highlight. Photovoltaic electricity potential in Cambodia. © 2017 The World Bank, Solar resource data: Solargis.

Will Cambodia increase its solar energy investment in 2020?

The Cambodian government has said it will increase its investments in solar energy by 12% by year-end 2020 and by 20% over the next three years, up from less than 1% at present. “So, in 2020, we will have about 15 percent from solar energy, and we will continue to further increase that number,” energy ministry director-general Vitor Jona said.

How much electricity does Cambodia use?

Cambodia consumed a total of 2,650 megawatts of electricity in 2018, an increase of about 15% compared to 2017, according to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. Eighty-three percent of rural areas had access to grid power as of the most recent, publicly disclosed figures, leaving nearly 5 million Cambodians without access to electricity.

Will increasing solar power boost Cambodia's exports?

Aligned with achieving sustainable agriculture, energy and general improvement in livelihoods and living conditions, Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) secretary-general Moul Sarith reportedly said that increasing solar power generation would help reduce electricity costs and boost the Kingdom’s exports.