ESIA study completed for 700-MW Sihanoukville power plant, expected to go online by 2022

• Kongleaphy Keam
• 2 July 2020
• Uncategorized
• 7499 Views

Following the completion of the environment and social impact assessment (ESIA), construction of a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Preah Sihanouk province’s Stung Hav district is set to begin soon, and is expected to generate power to the national grid in 2022.

The energy project is a joint venture between Cambodia International Investment Development Group (CIIDG) and China Huadian Hong Kong Company Limited (CHDHK). With an investment of US$1.2 billion, this power plant is set to be built on 54 hectares of land in Stung Hav district.

The project was approved in principle by the government in 2013, and took until July 2018 for the government to approve the company’s project under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) concession for a 35-year investment.

Director-General of Energy and spokesman at the Ministry of Mines and Energy Victor Jona said on Tuesday 30 June that after getting approval from the government, the firm has sought cooperation partners on the project. In late 2019, the firm and its cooperation partner CHDHK broke ground in Stung Hav district. (Read more)

According to the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration, the project ESIA was completed after the firm reviewed the results earlier this week.

Jona said although the ESIA has just recently been completed, construction on the energy plant would proceed as planned and will generate energy in late 2022.

“As planned, the energy project has two phases. The first phase is the 350-megawatt engine, which will generate and link to the grid by 2022, while another 350-megawatt engine goes online by 2023,” Jona said.

Deputy Governor of Preah Sihanouk province Chhit Seng Nguon also expressed support for  the ESIA result, stressing that the duel unit plant will create more jobs and more importantly will reduce energy imports from neighbouring countries.

Currently, Preah Sihanoukville province has four coal-fired power plants invested in by two companies. Cambodia Energy Limited has invested in two power plants –CEL I and CEL II with a total output of 235 megawatts, and CIIDG has invested in two power plants – CIIDG I and CIIDG II with a total output of 377 megawatts.

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