GE to Help Electrify Cambodia

KHMER TIMES
SOK CHAN

Due to its diverse energy portfolio, General Electric is ideally positioned to deliver what the Cambodian government needs. Reuters

A partnership with General Electric (GE), the Boston-based American multinational conglomerate, will be the best way forward for Cambodia to meet its 2035 goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three million tons annually and electrifying 100 percent of rural areas, representatives from the company and the US ambassador told a workshop at the Ministry of Mines and Energy yesterday.

President of GE’s Asean division Wouter Van Wersch stated that the company was ideally positioned to deliver what the government needs, due to its diverse energy portfolio.

“We not only see the opportunity for GE to contribute to Cambodia’s infrastructure in power generation, power transmission, but also in healthcare and the aviation sector,” Mr. Van Wersch said. “We will support Cambodia with our best and latest technology, by improving the productivity and efficiency of equipment that will ultimately help to reduce the cost of electricity and also to reduce the emission impact on the environment.”

“We will work with the Ministry of Mines and Energy to increase power capacity in the country, and we want to invest more to [bring] the right technology and increase the [technical] capacity of the Cambodian people. We will bring the best technology available,” he added.

US Ambassador William Heidt also voiced his support of GE’s technical expertise.

“For the last 15 years, Cambodia has made huge progress expanding the power grid to rural areas and delivering more reliable and cheaper power. GE will present new technology and solutions on power to Cambodia. The workshop today is a concrete example of how the US business community can contribute to sustainable economic development here in Cambodia,” he said.

The Minister for Mines and Energy Suy Sem stressed at the workshop that Cambodia was facing increasing energy demands, both in the public and private sectors. He also highlighted the government’s efforts in connecting rural Cambodia to the national grid.

“The government is working on big power transmission lines to connect with all areas across the country, and to develop reliable sources of electricity at affordable prices for the Cambodian people,” said Mr. Sem.

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.

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.

Victor Jona, director-general of energy at the ministry noted that so far 15 provinces had been connected to the power grid, with three more major lines coming online in the next two years. He spoke of his desire that GE will be able to further assist in the ministry’s efforts.

In addition to electricity imports from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, Mr. Jona said that Cambodia has six hydroelectric plants in operation, and one coal-powered plant. He stressed that energy prices for consumers had greatly fallen in recent years, with rural consumers paying about 600 riel ($0.15) per kilowatt/hour, down from $0.50 a few years ago.