Cambodia: Tycoon strikes Thai hydro dam deal

Cambodia: Tycoon strikes Thai hydro dam deal

Tycoon Ly Yong Phat has struck a deal with Thailand's state-owned
electricity company to build a small-scale hydroelectric dam on the border
of Koh Kong and Pursat provinces.

The $100 million Stung Nam dam venture will bring together Mr Yong Phat's
LYP Group with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

Mr Yong Phat told Khmer Times his company had been negotiating the deal for
some time and would open the project for tender soon.

"The hydroelectric dam is a joint-venture with our Thai counterparts in a
move to build closer relations with our neighbours. The project should begin
in the next two or three months because we have already done the
environmental impact assessment. We are just awaiting the final approval
from government," he said.

Mr Yong Phat said the dam will be able to generate more than 30 megawatts
and the power would be sold to Thailand.

"We will sell the energy back to Thailand. The dam is very close to Thailand
and it would be very expensive to invest in a transmission line to use it
locally. It will only generate a small amount of power, so the
joint-investment is more about enhancing the relationship between our two
countries," he said.

Mr Yong Phat said he will sign a purchasing agreement with his Thai partners
before applying for a construction licence from government, after which work
on the damn would begin.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According to the ministry, Cambodia had expanded electricity supplies to
almost 75 percent of total villages in the country by the end of last year.

Cambodia generates 200MW of its energy though oil-powered electricity
plants, 500MW through coal-fired plants and 928MW through hydropower plants.

The hydroelectric Lower Se San II dam will open next year, with a capacity
of about 400MW, while another 135MW coal-fired power plant will open early
in 2019.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/38144/tycoon-strikes-thai-hydro-dam-deal/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com