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Cambodia: $8 million solar bike investment unveiled
The Korea Energy Agency (KEA) has announced it is planning to invest in a project supplying electric bikes and building solar charging stations in the Kingdom.
KEA, a government agency carrying out national energy policies for energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy dissemination, plans to inject 10 billion won ($8 million) in its project, local media outlet reported.
However, the timeframe has not yet set as to exactly when the project will be realised.
The move comes after the agency has conducted the pilot project strategically located in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap since last year October. The electric bikes supply project is designed to export photovoltaic (PV) systems, charging stations and electric bikes in a package.
KEA reportedly said, through the project, will be able to increase the number of Korea-type solar bikes in Cambodia to 1,000 units first. Then, it plans to expand charging stations to 30 and electric motorcycles to 4,000.
The agency investment follows Voltra Motors lead. The manufacturer of the first Cambodia-made electric motorbike has already officially opened its doors.
Yann Vaudin, founder and director of Voltra Motors, said environmental pollution is a problem in Cambodia, and electric scooters can help minimise the problem.
According to the annual report from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, registered vehicles have risen 13 percent in one year because of rapid economic expansion and rising incomes.
The Ministry’s report puts the number of newly registered vehicles in 2019 at 640,183 in total, consisting of 15,956 heavy vehicles, 92,958 cars and 531,269 motorbikes.
From 1990 to 2019, according to the report, there have been more than 5 million registered vehicles in the Kingdom, which has increased by more than 300,000 to 400,000 vehicles year-on-year. Motorbikes make up 40 percent.
Yann, who also owns Green e-Bike, the first electric bike rental business in Cambodia which was started in Siem Reap in 2014, said motorbikes release 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere in Phnom Penh each year. “This is resulting in a public health problem,” he said.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50717300/8-million-solar-bike-investment-unveiled/