The access to electricity has been promoted as planned as 98 percent of the total villages nationwide have been electrified.

Rural electrification has seen remarkable progress after the Royal Government had set a goal to electrify all the 14,168 villages across the country by the end of 2020, said H.E. Suy Sem, Minister of Mines and Energy during a recent inspection visit to 400-megawatt power plant in Kandal province’s Lovea Em district.

The remaining two percent, or equal to 237 villages, that have not been connected to the grid are located in difficult areas, which poses difficulties for the electrification processes, he said.

The ministry is preparing to provide them with power access by installing solar PV system in those areas, he added.

The main power sources in Cambodia are hydropower dams, coal-fired power plants, solar farms, and imported power from neighbouring countries.

Peak electricity demand has fallen to just 1,700MW this year from 3,600 MW last year due to the decline in power consumption of garment manufacturing industry, accounting for about 40 percent of the country’s total power consumption, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.