Cambodia Royal Government Spokesperson, H.E. Phay Siphan stated in an interview conducted by A24 Agency that new Coal power plants in Sihanoukville will be installed by Chinese experts but managed and run by the well-trained Cambodian authority, adding that Chinese built coal power plants in Cambodia are not under the choice of China but the choice of Cambodian government as well as Cambodian investors. The coal power plant fits with Cambodia’s situation right now because Cambodia is a poor country and it needs a reliable energy source that is produced locally. He pointed out that even though Cambodia uses coal to make power, the plant will use modern technology to capture CO to protect the environment as well as to prevent global warming. Siphan said his country is not worried about going backward by using coal to make energy because some renewable energy sources like solar are not reliable yet, they are not efficient in a tropical climate and Cambodia cannot afford the investment.
Interview with (H.E. Phay Siphan – Delegate Minister Attached to Prime Minister, Royal Government Spokesperson):
“The next one we call energy security; we start with that one. Even the United States still has coal energy. Because we are in the primary stage of using energy, as well as coal energy we produce that because it fits what our situation is right now. We are a poor country and we need it. Even though we use that coal with new technology to capture CO to protect our environment. As a poor country, we have to start something to and to people convenience to use that. Everyone needs energy, from small houses, huts and stuff like that to industrial, so we must need it, so that’s why we buy energy from our neighboring countries. But we do have to make sure that energy security, that’s our policy to make sure that we have our battery to use instead of waiting for another neighboring country.
- Interview with (H.E. Phay Siphan – Delegate Minister Attached to Prime Minister, Royal Government Spokesperson):
“We have to start something to provide convenience to our people who use the power as well to start up our economy because everything is related to power. We don’t use nuclear yet. Remember, many rich countries, rich nations they use nuclear that’s hazardous to the people’s lives. We don’t use that kind of hazardous. So, like coal, we have the modern technology to control CO that propagates to the atmosphere as well as (controlling) discharging hot water to the beach, so we have procedures to protect the environment. But we have to start with something. Even in the United States in some parts they use coal, as well as in Australia. Cambodia is a sovereign state. We do have a ministry of environment and related agencies to manage, control, and as well to approve. So whatsoever has to be approved and passed from that related agency.”
- Interview with (H.E. Phay Siphan – Delegate Minister Attached to Prime Minister, Royal Government Spokesperson):
“So first, labor, Cambodia doesn’t have the expertise to build that (new coal power plant) project. And secondly, in investment, some investment is made by Cambodian people. Not under the choice of China, but the choice of the Cambodian government as well as the Cambodian investors too, they have to be that way. Controlled and managed by a Cambodian party. Like the last one I know in Kampong Som (Sihanoukville) that uses coal power, they have boiled water (from the plant) and they have a distance to discharge that water to the sea, they have a regulation for that, how long it takes, how many hours it takes from the zero points to the beach so they make sure that it’s not hot. So, I think that they under calculate Cambodian authority, Cambodian’s authorities are well trained from the United States, and the minister of environment is well trained from Australia, so we’re not jungle persons, we’re well trained from overseas, so everything is under the control of the Cambodian authority and managed. For expertise, workmanship, yes, we use it from China, because they’re experts in that one, but some parts we bought from the Western countries to control it (the plant).”
- Interview with (H.E. Phay Siphan – Delegate Minister Attached to Prime Minister, Royal Government Spokesperson):
“Well for this one, we open opportunities for renewable energy, but it’s not dependable, not reliable yet for this time being, technology as well as price. The technology is not stable to provide energy, the source from renewable, solar panels is not stable, because Cambodia is in the tropics, monsoons as well. And the light from the sun is not permanent. We have only 3 months for that, the rest is cloudy all the time. So, for this time being the technology is not good for Cambodia to use yet. But we still have some experience with renewable energy, we’ve got two sites one in Kampong Speu province one in Kampong Chhnang provinces. But this renewable energy is supplementary not the principal (main) that we use. For this time being, for renewable energy, the technology is not that great yet, it’s a kind of experiment. So, we don’t have the money to start with new experiments with renewable energy. But we have our eyes on wind energy, but winds not giving us enough opportunity to produce enough energy yet, but we will come to everyone, but the investment is so high, so it’s hard for those people, to invest in that. We do have two sites to use and an experiment. One in Pursat province, next to Kampong Chhnang province and another one in Kampong Speu province, from the United States, they do renewables, from their investment.”
Source- A24