Overview
Electricity prices in Cambodia are among the most expensive in the region due to a shortage of integrated high-voltage transmission systems and the high cost of imported diesel fuel. Power in provincial cities is more expensive and less reliable than the supply in Phnom Penh. In very remote rural areas, the only source of electricity may be a small portable generator. The Government of Cambodia set a goal of electrifying all villages by 2020 and connecting at least 90 percent of all households to grid-quality electricity by 2030. At the end of 2022, 245 villages, or 1.7 percent of the total villages remain to be electrified due to geographical difficulties, and about 88.4 percent of households had access to quality electricity.
There are two types of licensees in Cambodia: (1) Independent Power Producers are licenses granted to companies to generate and sell electricity to suppliers or industries according to Power Purchase Agreements with that supplier or industry. (2) Consolidated Licensees have generation licenses to transmit, dispatch, distribute, and sell electric power to consumers.
Major sources of local power generation are hydro and coal, and minor sources include diesel, wood, and biomass. In addition to local power generation, Cambodia also buys electricity from neighboring countries, especially during the dry season. In 2022, Cambodia’s total installed capacity amounted to 4,495 megawatts (MW), while 1,030 MW of power was imported from Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) predicts that the total installed capacity will increase to 4,945 MW of electricity in 2023. Cambodia generated 1,331 MW from hydropower plants, 1,025 MW from coal-fired plants, 642 MW of its energy from oil-powered plants, and 437 MW from solar.
In its Power Development Master Plan (PDP) 2022-2040, Cambodia announced that there would no more investment of coal power plants after 2024, and renewable energy (domestic and imported) would play a significant role towards Cambodia’s transition to clean energy. In March 2023, Cambodia launched the “Principles for Permitting the Use of Rooftop Solar Power,” to regulate rooftop solar installations and ensure “transparency, accountability, and fairness.”
Leading Sub-Sector
There is tremendous demand in Cambodia for diesel generators as backup power, on-site power plants, and power generation in rural areas not served by public utilities. As with other types of infrastructure development, the government has only limited funding for power generation projects, but U.S. suppliers should check the state-run utility Electricité du Cambodge (EDC), World Bank, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) websites regularly for potential new projects in the energy sector. The Cambodian government has stated in its PDP that it will need $9 billion of investment to develop new power plants and expand the national grid, of which $2.5 billion has been approved between 2022 and 2025.
Opportunities
Opportunities exist for power generation and transmission equipment. The Cambodian government encourages usage of solar energy technologies, but U.S. companies are advised to review new regulations that might impact their business practices.
Resources
Ministry of Mines and Energy
Electricité du Cambodge
Electricity Authority of Cambodia