ADB to partner with Cambodia to launch national solar park program

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC) in setting up a national solar park program to exploit Cambodia’s abundant solar resources. A transaction advisory agreement was signed yesterday by Ryuichi Kaga, Head of ADB’s Office of Public-Private Partnership, and Keo Rottanak, RGC Delegate in Charge of Managing EDC.

“Cambodia is blessed with excellent solar irradiation and this program will help Cambodia bring renewable, affordable, and indigenously-sourced power to meet its growing energy needs. ADB will be advising on the structuring of a national solar park program and a competitive process of procuring power, which is expected to drive solar power prices lower and bring access to affordable power to its people,” Ryuichi Kaga, Head of ADB’s Office of Public-Private Partnership

The 100 megawatt (MW) solar power park program will be implemented in two phases, the first phase is around 30 MW to be followed by a second phase of 70 MW. As part of its advisory mandate, ADB’s Office of Public-Private Partnership will develop a feasibility study for the project, develop a bankable PPP structure, and organize a competitive tender process to select a suitable private sector sponsor for the power generation. ADB is expected to provide concessional funds to EDC for the common infrastructure of the solar park. This project will also help in developing a template for solar PPPs in Cambodia and, potentially, in other parts of neighboring Southeast Asia.

Source: ADB. Read full article here.
27 June, 2017