Cambodia based solar power project developer Global Purify Power (GPP) has begun construction of a 15 MW solar power plant in Cambodia. This capacity is the first phase of 225 MW it secured approval for in January 2016.
GPP had secured approval from Cambodia's Ministry of Mines and Energy, for 225 MW or more of PV capacity that will be distributed among businesses and factories in Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang and Takeo, each with at least 75 MW capacity.
It plans to invest more than $400 million to build three solar power plants in the three regions. It is not clear when the first project will be complete and when the company wants to start working on the remaining capacity. No information on financing was released.
GPP, a JV between Cambodian, Thai and Loas based investors, started work on the first project in Kampong Speu province, reported Khmer Times. It estimates an investment of over $10 million on this 15 MW project.
GPP's major task will be to find customers. Instead of selling power to the state-owned utility Electricite du Cambodge (EDC), it will have to convince businesses, factories and industrial zones to buy its solar power. "GPP cannot sell to EDC because it already has contracts to buy electricity from hydro power and coal-powered plants," Victor Jona, director-general of the Energy Ministry's general department of energy, told Khmer Times.
Cambodia's first large-scale solar power plant with 10 MW capacity had secured financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in April 2017. It is developed by the local subsidiary of Singapore based Sunseap International (see ADB Support For Cambodia PV Project).
ADB is also supporting the development of a 100 MW solar power park program to be completed in two phases (see ADB Helping Cambodia With 100 MW Solar Park).