Thailand, Cambodia to jointly build up new power plants

BANGKOK, December 30 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to set up a working committee to study plans on jointly building up two new power plants, Stung Num and Koh Kong, which have been delayed due to political problems over the past few years. Thai Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan told journalists on Friday that the agreement was reached during Thursday’s meeting between him, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, Cambodian capital. Pichai said that the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) will be assigned to conduct the feasibility study on the two new power plant projects, through its affiliate, EGAT International Co., Ltd. Under the agreement, the Thai energy minister acknowledged, both sides believe that the Stung Num hydro-power plant should have its dam on the Cambodian side while the plant itself on the Thai side. Cambodia’s Koh Kong Seaboard Co., Ltd. has proposed that the Stung Num plant should have either total capacity of 94 or 101-megawatt with investment of approximately 5.5 billion baht and water from the dam will be supplied to agricultural and industrial areas around Cambodian coastal province of Koh Kong near the Thai border and between 200-500 cubic metres of water to Thailand’s Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate and three eastern Thai provinces, including Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat. The energy minister revealed that the second project, the coal-fired Koh Kong power plant, has not made much progress even though the Phnom Penh government has informed Cambodian investors on the project since April 2008 that power generated from the Koh Kong plant will be sold to three Thai private firms, and that three leading firms are studying on developing the Koh Kong power project. According to the Thai energy minister, Cambodia and Thailand have also agreed in principle to resume negotiations on a plan for the joint development of an overlapping claim area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Bangkok and Phnom Penh have also, meanwhile, agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in all fields for the interests of both people and countries. (TNA)