Coal-fired power plant breaks ground

      Once operational, Leader Energy’s CEL II will be able to produce 135 megawatts. EDC

Construction of two 350-megawatt coal-fired power units broke ground yesterday. The power generated is scheduled to be linked to the national grid in 2022.

CIIDC Erdos Hongjun Electric Power invested about $1.2 billion in the plant in Preah Sihanouk province’s Stung Hav district.

It is a joint venture between CIIDG Erdos Hongjun Electric Power and local firm Cambodia International Investment Development Group Co Ltd.

As planned, a 350-MW coal-fired power plant will start to generate power to the national grid in 2022. The other is scheduled to go online in 2023, said Victor Jona, director-general of energy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The investment followed marathon talks over prices of power from the plant to Cambodia’s Electricity Authority (EDC), Mr Jona said.

“The investment is important in generating power to the grid because the government wants to increase the power generated from all sources,” Mr Jona said.

The agreed price of power sold to the EDC is $0.0743 per kilowatt-hour, according to Mr Jona.

CIIDG Erdos Hongjun Electric Power operates three 135-MW coal-fired power plants in Preah Sihanouk province, generating power to the grid of 405 MW.

According to Mr Jona, Royal Group, Cambodia’s largest conglomerate, was granted permission to conduct a feasibility study on a 700-MW coal-fired power plant in Preah Sihanouk province.

Cambodia currently produces 505 MW from two coal-fired power plants.

100 MW comes from CEL I while the rest is generated by CIIDG Erdos Hongjun Electric Power, which has three 135-MW coal-fired generating units in Preah Sihanouk.

Han Seng Coal Mine is now building a 200-MW coal-fired plant in Oddar Meanchey province.

The 135-MW coal-fired power plant, called CEL II, is scheduled to go online this month. Source from Khmertimes.