Villages No Longer Dark

KHMER TIMES
CHEA VANNAK

By 2020, the government expects to install electricity lines in all villages nationwide. KT/Chor Sokunthea

The Cambodian government is on track to provide electricity to all villages in the Kingdom by 2020 as this year’s seven-month data, from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, indicate that 71 percent of rural areas now have regular power supply.

Ith Praing, secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said the electrification of villages was up 6.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

“We are working towards a goal of supply electricity to all villages by 2020 and this seven-month data indicates we can reach that target,” said Mr. Praing.

There are 14,073 villages nationwide and by 2020, the government expects to install electricity lines in all of them. The government also has a target of providing electricity to 70 percent of all households nationwide by 2030.

“A total of 57 percent of all households ‒ in rural and urban areas ‒ have received a supply of electricity and we can expect 70 percent of them to have a regular supply by 2030,” said Mr. Praing, who also emphasized that Cambodia should focus on alternative clean energy to meet its goals.

“Global warming and its link to fossil fuel for generating power is worrying. We have to try to seek alternatives to protect our environment,” he said.

About 85 percent of Cambodian people live in rural areas and the country has no indigenous sources of fossil fuel. Over 84 percent of primary energy is created by fuel wood, according to reports. Rechargeable car batteries are normally used in rural areas for basic lighting and powering radios and small televisions.

Cambodia has a total of seven hydropower plants in operation and another two ‒ Lower Se San II and the coal fired power plant in Sihanoukville ‒ are under construction. The coal fired Sihanoukville power plant will be completed next year.

Kong Pharith, general director of IMB Cambodia, a Phnom Penh-based company that installs home solar panels, welcomed the ministry’s call for the use of clean alternative energy. Mr. Pharith said this could pave the way for private sector involvement.

“If the government opens the door for the private sector to be involved in the renewable energy sector, there will be many companies that would step in,” said Mr. Pharith.

“This is part of boosting the government’s energy development plan.”