Environmental Criteria for Hydropower in the Mekong Region - WWF

The Current Status of Environmental Criteria for Hydropower Development in the Mekong Region: A litterature compilation
subsistence. Cambodia is downstream of Viet Nam and Lao PDR for three major
Mekong tributaries, and within Cambodia, the Mekong interacts with the Tonlé Sap,
the combined lake and river system of huge importance to the country. The reverse
flow from Mekong into Tonlé Sap is a critical parameter in the 1995 Agreement.
Cambodia’s theoretical hydropower potential is 10,000 MW, with about 50% of the
potential capacity on the main-stem and 40% on tributary systems; the balance is
small hydropower around the country. 1 Total installed capacity in Cambodia was
160 MW (in 2003) mostly consisting of thermal power units and some hydropower
(about 30 MW capacity). Installed capacity is projected to reach about 500 MW by
2010, through grid generation expansion. The candidate energy sources include
hydropower and gas turbines (GT)/combined cycle (CCGT), diesel and heavy fuel oil
(HFO) power plants, all on imported fuel. Cambodia is strengthening its cross-border
interconnections with Viet Nam to form a Southern Grid in the country and is
improving connection with Thailand on its western borders.
General observations on the development of Cambodia’s hydropower portfolio are:
Hydropower is expected to make up the bulk of the new generation additions in
the foreseeable future;
Mainstream dams represent nearly half of Cambodia’s total hydropower potential,
but it is considered unlikely that Cambodia will seek to develop a large
hydropower project on the Mekong (e.g. Sambor at 3,300 MW) 2 ;
Cambodia’s 2006-2010 power investment program includes plans to construct 3
projects: Kirrrom III (13 MW) and Kamchay (193 MW) which are both outside
the Mekong River basin, and Battambang (73 MW);
Cambodia lists a further 11 projects as priority hydropower projects.
The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME) is responsible for power policy
in Cambodia on behalf of the government. Immediate goals and priorities are (i)
development of elements of a national transmission grid and the generation to support
it; (ii) support for a provincial towns electrification plan to rehabilitate supplies; and
(iii) development and implementation of a rural electrification plan that incorporates
small hydropower and off-grid renewable energy.
The power sector is being restructured and the national power planning system is thus
in transition. The Electricity Law (2001) set out a reform agenda, under which the
Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC), which reports to MIME, is responsible for
licensing, tariff setting and regulation. Electricité du Cambodge (EdC), which
operates the power networks in Phnom Penh, Krong Preah Sihanouk, Siem Reap, and
Kompong Cham, is to be gradually commercialized. The power industry and power
market reforms also aim to attract private sector financing through long-term
1
Cambodia National Mekong Committee National Sector Review 2003: Hydropower
2
NT2 CIA, 2004
2