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Cambodia, Laos to sign 2,400-MW power deal

Cambodia and Laos will sign a power deal this week during the state visit of the Laotian prime minister.

Through this week’s agreement, the Kingdom will buy 2,400 megawatts from neighbouring Laos.

This week’s deal will be discussed at the Council of Ministers tomorrow, according to Victor Jona, the director-general of energy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The deal will be signed during Thongloun Sisolith’s, Laos’ prime minister, visit to Cambodia, Mr Jona said yesterday, adding that Cambodia is planning to build a high-voltage transmission system to carry the energy from the border with Laos to Phnom Penh.

Under the agreement, the power imported from Laos will be generated at a coal-fired power plant, he said.

“The power agreement will be signed next week. We are planning to build a 500 kilovolt, high-voltage transmission line from Laos to Stung Treng province, and then to Phnom Penh,” Mr Jona said.

The power deal was unveiled during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of a summit of Asean energy ministers last week in Bangkok, Thailand.

Cambodia and Laos have already signed an energy deal through which the kingdom will import 100 MW starting next year.

The Cambodian government has been encouraging investments in the energy sector after the country experienced a power shortage earlier this year.

Last week, Prime Road Alternative, a Thailand-based developer and operator of renewable power, won a bid for a 60-MW solar project in Kampong Chhnang province.

According to a press release from the Asian Development Bank, Prime Road Alternative will be able to sell power to the national grid at just 3.877 cents per kilowatt-hour. This, ADB said, will be the lowest electricity tariff in the region.

Electricite du Cambodge is providing the land and access to the transmission lines. Prime Road Alternative will supply power based on a long-term power purchase agreement with EDC.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50641688/cambodia-laos-to-sign-2400-mw-power-deal/