Pursat’s 80MW Stung Pursat 1 Hydropower Dam Nears Completion, Power Expected by December
The 80-megawatt Stung Pursat 1 hydropower project in Pursat province is more than 90 per cent complete, with electricity generation expected to begin in December 2026 and the reservoir set to ease flooding downstream.
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Cambodia’s Stung Pursat 1 hydropower project, an 80-megawatt dam in the Cardamom Mountains of Pursat province, has passed 90 per cent completion and is expected to begin generating electricity in December 2026. Its builders say the reservoir will also help hold back floodwater that would otherwise flow towards Pursat town during heavy rains.
Key points
- The Stung Pursat 1 hydropower project in Veal Veng district, Pursat province, is more than 90 per cent complete.
- The 80-megawatt plant has two 40MW generating units and is expected to start producing electricity in December 2026.
- The dam's gates have been closed and its reservoir, which can hold about 1.23 billion cubic metres of water, has begun to fill.
- The project, worth about US$250 million, is being built by a South Korean company and will be handed to the Cambodian government after 35 years.
The project sits in Stung Thmei village, Pramaoy commune, in Veal Veng district, about 75 kilometres from Pursat town. Construction began in 2021 and is scheduled to finish by 31 December 2026. The dam’s gates have already been closed, allowing the reservoir to start filling.
A 100-metre dam in the Cardamoms
The dam stands about 100 metres high and stretches some 680 metres across, with a seven-metre road along its crest. Behind it, the reservoir can store about 1.23 billion cubic metres of water, of which around 999 million cubic metres can be regulated for power and water management. The scheme also includes a spillway, a powerhouse with two 40MW generating units, a switchyard and a 230-kilovolt transmission line to carry electricity to the national grid.
Because the reservoir needs time to fill, the plant may not reach its full 80MW output until 2027, according to Mr. Hong Soo Young, the project’s managing director. He put the total investment at about US$250 million.
Power, flood control and dry-season water
Beyond electricity, the dam is designed to reduce the volume of water rushing downstream in the rainy season, offering protection to communities along the Pursat River. In the dry season, water released through the turbines can also support farming downstream.
The project is being developed by SPHP (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., a South Korean company, under a 35-year agreement: the company finances and builds the plant, then transfers it in full to the Cambodian government. The government has supported the project with investment arrangements, land use and permits, and the company says residents whose land or property was affected have been compensated in coordination with the authorities.
Once running, Stung Pursat 1 will add a new source of domestically generated, renewable power to Cambodia’s growing electricity supply.
Sources: The Phnom Penh Post.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Stung Pursat 1 hydropower dam?
It is in Stung Thmei village, Pramaoy commune, Veal Veng district, in Cambodia’s Pursat province, about 75 kilometres from Pursat town.
When will the Stung Pursat 1 dam start producing electricity?
Generation is expected to begin in December 2026, with full 80MW output possibly reached in 2027 once the reservoir has filled.
Who is building the Stung Pursat 1 hydropower project?
SPHP (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., a South Korean company, is building it under a 35-year agreement, after which the plant will be transferred to the Cambodian government.
