Hor Kimsay

Electricite du Cambodge has announced a $167.5 million project to develop a high-voltage distribution network that will see a number of provinces along the Tonle Sap enhance their transmission capacity.

The upgrade, to be funded by a concessional loan from China Exim Bank, will see the construction of a network connecting Battambang to Siem Reap, Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham provinces, capable of transferring 600 megawatts of electricity per hour, according to a March 11 statement from the EdC.

While a second construction within the project, with the ability of generating 1,000 megawatts per hour, will begin at a sub-station in Kampong Speu and connect to Kandal’s Takhmao city via a circular-grid network crossing the Tonle Sap, upper and lower Mekong and the Bassac River, the EdC statement says.

The new grids will combine to be about 450 kilometres in length and will be completed in three years’ time, according to the EdC.

Ty Thany, executive director at the Electricity Authority of Cambodia, said yesterday that the connection to Siem Reap would boost existing domestic supply to province and reduce the dependence on imported electricity from Thailand.

“Now, we have more sources of electricity than before, but what we still lack is the electricity grid network,” he said.

“So we need to develop more electricity grids with greater voltage.”

Chheury Chhorn, director of the Siem Reap Tourism Department, welcomed the boost of domestic electricity supply he said was needed to keep up with the rising number of hotels and restaurants catering to increased tourism numbers in the province.

“The development of a high voltage electricity grid for future preparation is a good thing, as the demand of electricity will be much greater in future,” Chhorn said yesterday.

Once completed, the network will help support enhanced electricity transfer to Phreah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provines, according to the announcement from the EdC.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/electricity-upgrade-power-siem-reap

About time, too. Last week no power for three days as a truck driver again took out a pole of the single line supplying electricity to Siem Reap.