Cambodia Expats Online: Forum | News | Information | Blog

A senior official says the three countries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Environment Minister Say Samal said the government inked the agreement with the Russian Atomic Energy Corporation and the China National Nuclear Corporation.

The MoU aims to boost cooperation on nuclear energy and the use of nuclear technology in priority areas such as industry, agriculture, food safety, energy, construction, the environment and medicine.

Cambodia already uses nuclear technology to treat cancer patients at Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh.

The government is also setting up an information centre, with China’s assistance, to raise public awareness of the potential of nuclear power.

Cambodia has already been working with the two countries on nuclear power. In 2016, Cambodia signed an MoU with Russia to create the Nuclear Science and Technology Centre. A year later, Cambodia and China also reached agreement on nuclear energy cooperation.

Russia has also offered training in nuclear technology. Two Cambodian students graduated from St Petersburg Polytechnic University this month with degrees in Nuclear Power Engineering.

Prime Minister HE held talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2014.

He said at the time there would be no nuclear power development in the Kingdom.

However, Cambodia has since asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for help drawing up laws on nuclear safety and radiation, environmental protection and controlling radioactive waste.

In 2020, Cambodia’s power supply consisted of 60 percent coal and gas, with the remainder coming from a combination of hydropower, solar, biomass and other renewables.

Energy Minister Suy Sem said this month that he expects Cambodia’s economic recovery to push up power demand to pre-Covid levels. Demand before last year was growing at an annual rate of 15 to 23 percent, he said, adding that demand may even outstrip pre-2020 growth levels.

nerdlinger wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 am In general I’m pro-nuclear, but I’m not sure Cambodia is best equipped to handle it safely. Not too hard to imagine some contractor taking a huge fee to take care of the waste and then just quietly dumping it in the Mekong.

And let’s not forget what happened in Bhopal when an outside country tried training a bunch of random locals in a less developed country to handle dangerous substances…

Doc67 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:02 am

nerdlinger wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 am In general I’m pro-nuclear, but I’m not sure Cambodia is best equipped to handle it safely. Not too hard to imagine some contractor taking a huge fee to take care of the waste and then just quietly dumping it in the Mekong.

And let’s not forget what happened in Bhopal when an outside country tried training a bunch of random locals in a less developed country to handle dangerous substances…

Chinese construction standards meet the people who gave us Chernobyl. Sounds like fun.

nerdlinger wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 am In general I’m pro-nuclear, but I’m not sure Cambodia is best equipped to handle it safely. Not too hard to imagine some contractor taking a huge fee to take care of the waste and then just quietly dumping it in the Mekong.

And let’s not forget what happened in Bhopal when an outside country tried training a bunch of random locals in a less developed country to handle dangerous substances…

orussey98 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:18 am

nerdlinger wrote: ↑Wed Jul 28, 2021 6:57 am In
I'm a pro nuclear too.

It really depends what kind of reactor they plan to use.
China seems to go in the right direction and will sell starting in 2030 thorium reactor or molten salt reactor.

If so it'll be a safe solution for nuclear in Cambodia.

If the build in Kampot they can they make a molten pepper reactor?