ADB okays financing for Cambodian grid, utility-scale battery

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of USD 127.8 million (EUR 108m) to support the expansion of Cambodia's transmission infrastructure and a grant for the country’s first utility-scale battery.

The bank said today it will finance the construction by Electricite du Cambodge of four transmission lines and 10 substations in Phnom Penh and Kampong Chhang, Kamong Cham, and Takeo provinces. It will also support the installation of a 16-MWh energy storage facility near the ADB-backed 100-MW National Solar Park with a grant of USD 6.7 million. Of the total amount, USD 4.7 million come from the Strategic Climate Fund and USD 2 million from the Clean Energy Fund, both administered by the bank.

The government of Cambodia aims to reach 415 MW of installed photovoltaic (PV) power capacity by 2020. In 2019, the country had 155 MW. The utility-scale battery will support the integration of more renewable energy, and provide transmission congestion relief and balancing of supply and demand.

“The battery energy storage system will showcase how large-scale deployment of innovative technology applications can be used to operate Cambodia’s grid in the future and generate more renewable power,” commented ADB Country Director for Cambodia Sunniya Durrani-Jamal.

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