Cambodia's energy minister, Keo Rottanak, disclosed plans to mitigate the fluctuating output from the country's hydropower resources by expanding solar projects and initiating electricity imports through regional grid interconnections. Speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week, Rottanak emphasized the importance of diversifying fuel sources due to the increasing weather-related disruptions impacting hydropower, which accounts for nearly half of the nation's annual electricity consumption.
Asia has seen its hydropower production decline at its fastest rate in decades this year, forcing power regulators to increasingly rely on fossil fuels to meet volatile electricity demands.
“We are going to fall heavily on solar and some wind to supplement what hydro can offer. We want to leverage that with the interconnection from Vietnam, Laos,” said Keo Rottanak.
Unlike other mid-sized Asian countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam, which have turned to coal or natural gas to meet power needs, Cambodia has been utilizing its hydropower capabilities to phase out fossil fuels for the past two decades.
While acknowledging the susceptibility of hydropower to climate change, Rottanak said, “Our policy is to put intermittent renewable energy, basically solar predominantly, to the maximum level the grid can sustain.”
The minister announced that Cambodia will continue to focus on hydropower as a central component of its energy mix through upcoming pumped hydro projects. A 1,000 MW pumped hydro project will be announced in two weeks, he revealed.
Keo Rottanak also signaled a policy shift toward multilateral power exchange deals to expedite energy transition in the region. “It is time to call an end to bilateral arrangements. It's time to start sub-regional and regional interconnectivity,” he said, asserting that Cambodia would play an “aggressive role” in encouraging leaders to reconsider the concept of the ASEAN power grid.
Despite attempts over decades to establish a regional grid among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), progress has been limited to bilateral deals. “If we can lay submarine cable for internet, we must be able to lay subsea cable for electricity,” concluded Keo Rottanak.
