Cambodia's total installed power capacity rises to 5,044 MWs in 2024

Cambodia's total installed power capacity surged to 5,044 megawatts (MWs) in 2024, an increase of 8.49 percent from 4,649 MWs in 2023, Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) Chairman Yim Viseth said here on Monday.

Last year, some 4,372 MWs were generated locally by hydroelectric dams, solar power plants, biomass power plants, coal-fired power plants, and diesel-fired power plants, while 672 MWs were imported from neighboring Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, Viseth said during the EAC's annual conference.

"The amount of energy consumed from all power sources increased from 16,804 gigawatt hours in 2023 to 19,419 gigawatt hours in 2024," he said.

Viseth said that by the end of 2024, roughly 14,048 villages, or 99.15 percent, of the kingdom's 14,168 villages have access to electricity.

"The 120 villages, which do not have access to electricity, are mostly located on islands, flooded areas during the rainy season, areas without road access, floating areas, and remote areas with scattered populations," he said.

In regard to clean energy development, he said renewable energy accounted for 61.11 percent of the locally generated electric power last year.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of Mines and Energy Keo Rattanak said that the Southeast Asian country aims to increase its share of clean energy generation capacity to 70 percent by 2030.

He said construction work on 13 new power generation projects with a combined capacity of 1,275 MWs had been underway.

"Furthermore, 23 additional power generation projects with a total capacity of 5,950 MWs have been approved for development," he said.