Illustrative image (Photo: adb.org) Phnom Penh (VNA) - About 98 percent ofthe villages in Cambodia have access to electricity so far, state-run AgenceKampuchea Press (AKP) reported on December 15, citing a minister.
Rural electrification has seen remarkable progressafter the government set a goal to electrify all of the 14,168 villages acrossthe country by the end of 2020, Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem said during arecent visit to a 400-megawatt power plant in southern Kandal province.
The remaining two percent, or 237 villages, thathave not been connected to the grid, are located in difficult areas, which posedifficulties for the electrification process, the minister said.
The ministry is preparing to provide them with poweraccess by installing solar power system in those areas, he added.
The main power sources in Cambodia are hydropowerdams, coal-fired power plants, solar farms, and imported power fromneighbouring countries.
Peak electricity demand has fallen to just 1,700MWthis year from 3,600 MW last year due to the decline in power consumption of thegarment manufacturing industry which accounted for about 40 percent of thecountry’s total power consumption, amid the COVID-19 pandemic./.
VNA
