angkorjohn2 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 1:55 pm

Username Taken wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:41 am

angkorjohn2 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2019 8:57 pm I know the power cuts last year frustrated lots of people,

Not that long ago. It was only earlier this year.

Was damned annoying being forced to sit in a dark office with no air-con, and no internet, so couldn't do anything. After a few hours, the management would say 'ok you lot may as well go home now'. You arrive home just in time for the power to go off in that section of the city.

Don't worry chaps, Laos is going to send MegaWatts to save the day.

Apologies UT, I have tried to block it out my mind and also with the cold snap it felt longer about yes indeed only april-july/august this year (when very bad, odd ones since then.)

The thing is, as always no planning, they ordered that boat power generator from turkey then canceled when it was going to take too long so why not get it here ready for next year. Blaming it on water and dams is not a solution. Stop all construction if you can't meet supply and demand. Last year 700% increase in construction leaving a 40%+ deficit in power, mixed with a very hot hot season which was one of the hottest I've seen in 10 years that I recall (for continually being hot with no break). Let's hope the temperatures are kinder in 2020

2020 new tag will be,,,,, Cambodia, land of instant decisions and backflips.


Sand exports
Logging
Casinos

Household solar.
Local grid solar.
Commercial aircon and other needs by large-scale solar - demand matches generating times pretty well.

Some industry solar
Save the carbon generated power for remaining industry, and some household use, that needs power when solar is not available. And peak load.

Properly price power on a user-pays basis eg so added high cost of peak generation capacity needed for industry and aircon is not being subsidised by everyday households.
That will incentify the change "organically". and the "market rules" crew are happy too.
Batteries will improve, and "natural batteries" technology may become more common, eg "pumped hydro"

A bit simplistic, but that is probably a realistic path forward.
And probably something like what the intermediate future will look like. The economics all point that way according to some experts.

PS Nuclear is definitely not an option in a place with no high-tech culture.
With no effective regulatory environment.
No guarantee of social stability for next 50 years. (or forever if we consider security of waste storage)
and no inclination or capacity to plan for decommission financially.
Building it now to suit short term convenience - and then dumping the costs and risks on the grandkids is just plain foul.
Even Japan cannot manage nuclear - and even they cannot afford decommission.
Cambodia... Ha!

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:39 pm Household solar.
Local grid solar.
Commercial aircon and other needs by large-scale solar - demand matches generating times pretty well.

Some industry solar
Save the carbon generated power for remaining industry, and some household use, that needs power when solar is not available. And peak load.

Properly price power on a user-pays basis eg so added high cost of peak generation capacity needed for industry and aircon is not being subsidised by everyday households.
That will incentify the change "organically". and the "market rules" crew are happy too.
Batteries will improve, and "natural batteries" technology may become more common, eg "pumped hydro"

A bit simplistic, but that is probably a realistic path forward.
And probably something like what the intermediate future will look like. The economics all point that way according to some experts.

PS Nuclear is definitely not an option in a place with no high-tech culture.
With no effective regulatory environment.
No guarantee of social stability for next 50 years. (or forever if we consider security of waste storage)
and no inclination or capacity to plan for decommission financially.
Building it now to suit short term convenience - and then dumping the costs and risks on the grandkids is just plain foul.
Even Japan cannot manage nuclear - and even they cannot afford decommission.
Cambodia... Ha!

with a 40% deficit and 15% yearly growth solar isn't going to fit the bill. Not.even.close.

They will need large (fossil powered) plants, one now, one more in 2 years time, and one more in 4 years time. Since that's not going to happen you better prepare for a few long hot winters.

^^ Yep true. but i was talking intermediate term.
These are short term fixes, forced by poor planning, and are ultimately unsustainable in the longer run - economically.
The numbers are changing for renewables big time. And many of the issues about being able to meet peak demand are changing too.
Not saying renewables are the cure-all over next few years, just the general trend in the future.

January 8, 2020 / 9:45 PM / Updated 9 hours ago
Don Sahong hydropower dam in Laos connects to Cambodian grid
Prak Chan Thul
3 Min Read

PHNOM PENH, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Don Sahong hydropower dam in Laos has begun operations and this week connected its power grid to Cambodia, a Cambodian official said on Wednesday as the country steps up electricity imports after continued power outages last year.

Don Sahong, which was designed for an installed capacity of 260 megawatts (MW), is the second dam to begin operations on the Lower Mekong River within six months, after years of opposition from environmental activists.

The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam in Laos began supplying energy to Thailand in October.

Victor Jona, director general of energy at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, told Reuters that the link was connected on Tuesday.

“Don Sahong has a capacity of 195 megawatts, and the (state-run utility) Electricite du Cambodge will buy all of it,” he said.

He added that total capacity would only be reached in the annual rainy season starting around April, and output would likely be less during the current dry season.

The Lower Mekong River experienced record drought last year, and many parts along it have seen lower than usual water levels in the dry season.

Cambodia’s purchase price from the Don Sahong dam, which lies about 2 km north of the border in Laos, is $07.295 per kilowatt, Jona said. The deal will last for 30 years, he added.
https://www.reuters.com/article/mekong- ... JC?rpc=401&

Finns to the rescue ?

Wärtsilä signs 5-year maintenance deal for 200MW Cambodian power plant
September 17, 2020

Technology company Wärtsilä has signed a five-year power plant maintenance agreement covering the Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) C7 power plant, located close to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

The agreement is with SchneiTec, the company responsible for the maintenance of the power plant.

The aim of the five-year agreement is to support the availability, performance, and reliability of the 12 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines that generate a total of 200MW of output to the grid.

Wärtsilä will supply spare parts as needed while also providing maintenance planning, as well as remote asset diagnostics, guidance, and troubleshooting in the event of unplanned shutdowns or emergencies.

The EDC C7 power plant is playing an important role in meeting Cambodia’s electricity shortage.

The Wärtsilä engines provide the fast-starting, load-balancing flexibility to deliver the needed grid stability as Cambodia continues to utilise an increasing share of renewable energy, in particular solar power.

Renewable energy, complemented by the flexible power baseload power plant, will ensure stable power supply at the lowest levelised cost of energy.

Tann Tourthang, General Manager, HFO/LNG division, SchneiTec Co.Ltd, said: “We appreciate the support from Wärtsilä in optimising the maintenance of this plant. Being the engine supplier, Wärtsilä’s original equipment manufactured spare parts are sure to be fit-for-purpose without any risk of compromising either performance or reliability. The agreement also provides cost predictability, which is very important.”
https://www.powerengineeringint.com/gas ... wer-plant/

I don't know the timing of peak demand in Cambodia,
but you would have to think Phnom Penh's power consumption would be more heavily weighted towards daylight hours than in the West. - for aircon, virtually all the business and industrial users.
And much lower household consumption at night time than in the west - less electric cooking and hot water, no heating, less light and gadget use, probably.
I find it hard to believe that Phnom Penh uses anywhere near the amount of electricity a modern city uses at night time.
??

So on the face of it, a higher level of cheap solar should be a better strategy here than in most places. ??
More of the demand is exactly when supply is available. Less needed when not.

ps, i do realise there needs to be 'despatchable' power at all times of day - so some fossilised power will be needed for an interim period at least.
but why build 10 fossil plants when you could only need 2.

Hydro power plays into this quite well also. It is an environmental catastrophe, but too late, we got it.
And it will provide significant power when the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow - further reducing the need for both fossil plants and batteries to cater for night time demand.

With good planning and tweaking Cambodia should be able to utilise cheap renewable power to a higher level, and at a quicker pace, than most places.

- by my very basic understanding of the dynamics.
??

Forgot solar as an immediate mass solution. It maybe the energy source of the future. But commercial crystalline efficiencies are currently 14-19%. Expensive to produce and build, primarily pushed by western governments through tax breaks and credits.

Wonder how companies paid zero tax? They built solar and other green energies because the western governments want green and encourages it with tax breaks. And then the same companies are chastised by the media for taking advantage of tax loops and ‘gaming’ the system.

Coal, LNG, oil are still a lot cheaper in the here and now. The Cambodian people need stable energy for continued growth.

Maybe in the future, every Khmer will have their own Mr. Fusion bio reactors.

Hope it helps and the maintenance keeps things steady, already have had two power cuts this month.