Wind energy expected to power parts of Cambodia soon?

Energy generated from commercial wind turbine in Cambodia is expected to become a reality soon, as a power firm and the electricity authority are in talks to finalise the power purchase agreement.

Singapore-based The Blue Circle has conducted talks over the price tariff with Electricité du Cambodge (EDC) on the power purchase agreement and the deal is expected to come to an end in the second half of this year.

Victor Jona, Director General of Energy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said that the talks have been carrying for a year to set the agreed tariff of power sold from the wind turbine to the EDC.

“The talks lasted for a year already and we hope that the two sides will reach a deal before the end of this year,” Mr Jona said, adding that the tariff price of power generated from wind turbine is expected at as low as $0.07 per kWh.

The Blue Circle, the leading renewable energy company of Southeast Asia, was granted a licence by the Ministry of Mines and Energy to conduct feasibility studies on renewable energy generated from wind in Cambodia, especially in Kampot province, where the company chose to invest on wind turbine in its first step of investment in the Kingdom.

According to Mr Jona, once the deal is done, construction of a wind turbine field on the top of Bokor mountain in Kampot province, composed of 10 wind turbines with production capacity of 80-megawatt per year will be started.

Major power sources in Cambodia are hydropower dams, coal-fired power plants, imported power from neighbouring countries, and solar farms.

Last year, Cambodia consumed a total of 12,014.59 million kWh, a year-on-year increase of 23 percent. Chea Vannak/AKP