The Stung Pursat hydropower I dam, with a capacity of 80 megawatts and a cost of $230 million, is set to break ground soon. The project is located on the Pursat River in Pramuoy commune, Veal Veng district, and is being invested in by South Korean firm SPHP (Cambodia) Co Ltd. The groundbreaking ceremony will be presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen and is expected to take place soon.
The dam will be the eighth in Cambodia and the second in Pursat province. It is expected to have a full capacity of 80 megawatts during the rainy season and 40 megawatts during the dry season, and is set to be completed in 2026. The impact of the project on local communities and compensation has already been completed, according to Suy Sem, the Minister of Mines and Energy, who visited the construction site recently.
The construction of the Stung Pursat hydropower I dam was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after completion, Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) will purchase power from the firm at a rate of $0.07 per kWh. Pursat province currently has one dam, the 120-megawatt Atai Dam, which began operations in 2015. In addition to hydropower, there are two solar power plant projects, one with a capacity of 60 megawatts and the other with a capacity of 30 megawatts, under construction in the province.
According to the Electricity Authority of Cambodia, the demand for electricity in Cambodia rose to 4,014 megawatts in 2021, up 1 percent from the previous year. Of this, 3,033 megawatts were generated locally, while 981 megawatts were imported from Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Hydroelectric dams and coal-fired power plants are the main sources of electricity in Cambodia.
The ministry has prepared a master plan for the development of the long-term energy sector up to 2040, with a focus on supplying sufficient, quality, stable, and affordable electricity while developing clean energy and combating climate change with the United Nations. According to Sem, the ministry will not allow any further hydropower studies on the Mekong River and will not approve any coal-fired power development projects other than those already approved by the government in 2019.
Photo is not related to the project. Source; Khmer Times
