Innovation in Global Power - Parsons Brinckerhoff

Transporting Power Across the Grid
directly underneath the line and we were required to assess
whether any further construction rectification was necessary.
Our team is currently providing operation and maintenance
assistance so that prudent international utility practices
are applied in operation and maintenance and that the
transmission line is maintained and operated profitably for
the life of the project loan.
Environmental Challenges. To satisfy ADB’s terms of lending,
we conducted a review of the project against both ADB’s
lending policies and the Equator Principles (2006). The
transmission project was considered to be a “Category B”
project and was expected, therefore, to have very minor and
only temporary adverse environmental and social effects
during construction and essentially no effect of either kind
during its 30 years of operation. The low environmental risk
was assigned to the project mainly due to the small foot
print of the poles and the fact that approximately 92 percent
of the transmission line was being built along existing roads’
rights-of-way (ROW), with the remainder in paddy fields with
no requirement for large-scale removal of vegetation.
The project was also considered beneficial in that it will
substantially displace the inefficient and polluting generation
of diesel or bunker oil at the load centers and reduce the
need to transport fuel on numerous tanker trucks to feed
those stations. It was estimated that the project would forgo
the necessity of building an estimated 23 MW to 80 MW in
additional diesel or fuel oil plants with adverse environment
and road traffic impact and would reduce carbon emissions
by at least 32,055 tons a year (assuming 100 GWh of diesel
consumption a year).
Social Challenges. In addition to the social due diligence,
we prepared a Short Resettlement Plan (SRP) for the project
in accordance with ADB’s lending requirements. Plots of land
for the base of the steel lattice towers, substation and
switching station (totaling approximately 5 ha (12 acres) to
4.5 ha (11 acres) for the substations and switching station and,
0.5 ha (1 acre) for the steel lattice tower foundations) were
purchased from willing land owners, who were allowed in most
instances to continue to use the land to grow rice beneath
the towers. Compensation was paid for the placement of
certain poles on land already in use. These were mostly
encroachments within the ROW even though land was in
the ROW and not owned by the affected persons.
The project compensation had been funded initially by the
local governments, as is common practice with development
projects. There was little management of the compensation
monies allocated to the local authorities and practically no
documentation undertaken. This made it virtually impossible
to establish if the ADB safeguards had been complied with.
We undertook an audit of the delivery of compensation to
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determine if affected persons had been compensated and if
they were satisfied with the compensation. The audit consisted
of extensive public consultations, site visits and numerous
household calls. The assessment confirmed that project
property has been purchased at market rates with willing
buyers who participated voluntarily in the transactions and
that people were happy with the compensation (which was
often in excess of compensated paid by similar development
projects in Cambodia).
Conclusions
With the transmission line now up and running, Cambodians
are less dependent on the more expensive option of smallscale
diesel-based generation that emits more carbon dioxide
and, therefore, has a greater environmental impact. Private
establishments, such as shops and restaurants, have been able
to extend operational hours and invest income, previously
spent on electricity, in their business. A testament to this
advantage came from a restaurant owner who was able to
buy a refrigerator because her electricity costs were now 70
percent lower per month (from US $100 to US $30) even
though longer operating hours were possible. Furthermore,
the electricity supply was reliable.
Although we were employed by ADB, we worked closely with
both the client and the developer to overcome technical
challenges as they arose, which meant that we could suggest
solutions to improve the project as it developed. We are
currently assisting the client and developer further by
investigating the possibility of using step-down transformers
so that rural electrification can be achieved and more
Cambodians can benefit from the project.
The transmission project will substantially promote development,
as it will provide the means by which EDC can import
least-cost electricity for distribution to underserved regional
load centers. As demand grows, EDC will be able to use
larger, more efficient generating units, and eventually reduce
tariffs to levels competitive with the rest of the region.
Related Web Sites:
• World Bank (2007): Cambodia Country Information [Accessed 22 April 2008]
Fleur Parkinson is an environmental consultant based in the Hong Kong office.
Fleur has experience in completing environmental projects for clients in a number
of sectors and is currently involved in undertaking energy-related projects in Asia.
Jon Roe is the environmental consultant for the PB Singapore office. Jon has
a strong background in environmental impact assessments, construction and
contaminated land projects in Australia, and has been actively involved in the
environmental aspects of a wide range of PB’s energy projects in Asia.
61 PB Network #68 / August 2008