Korean Government Grants US$60 M for Solar Board Installation in Cambodia

Korean government through BJ Power Co., Ltd has recently granted US$60 M for the installation of solar boards in Cambodia’s rural areas. The company has already started to install solar boards in 4 areas including Taken Koh Sla Disabled Soldier Development Centre with 60-kw capacity, 317 Military Centre (30 kw), Chan Sor Commune Hall (1.5 kw) and Chea Sim Kamchaymea University (2 kw), said Mr. Kim Yong Sik, Director General of the company, adding that there are 120 solar boards planned to be installed throughout the country with estimated cost of about US$60 M, the aid from Korean government to Cambodia. Up to now, there have been 4 places already installed with the solar boards costing US$3 M. The installation process has been commenced since 2009 and is planned to be completed in two or three years. Mr. Uk Thoun, Rector of the University, extended his profound thanks to Korean government and working group of the company concerning the installation and further indicated the equipped solar boards are really useful for the university, albeit they cannot be utilized for all the corners of the university other than its offices, since the electricity connected from Vietnam is often cut off and the black-out period ranges from 1 to 2 days, causing great difficulty for the university. Based on Mr. Kim, the solar boards installed at the university are amounted to US$40,000. (Rasmei Kam, Daily Update from Local Newspapers, October 09, 2012.)