A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2005

Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia with a low per capita energy consumption and a high level of energy import. This study, therefore, is aimed to assess and analyze the renewable energy resource potential in the country, to study the rural energy use in one district and identify suitable applications of renewable energy in the country. The study presents the current situation concerning the availability of renewable energy resource and its application potential in Cambodia in residential, commercial, industry and agricultural sectors. The solar energy potential was estimated using the sunshine hour measurements at eight location of Cambodia. The daily average global solar radiation on the horizontal surface in the country is approximately 18.87 MJ/m2 per day. The overall hydropower potential is estimated at around 7,000 MW. It corresponds to the annual energy of approximately 59 TWh per year. The recoverable biomass energy potential in Cambodia from agricultural residues, forest residues and animal wastes is estimated at around 13,773 TJ per year. The wind energy resources in Cambodia are low through the mountain ranges may have areas with high potential. The wind potential for an annual average wind speed above 7 m/s is estimated at 1,260 MW. The results of the study show that Cambodia has good renewable energy resource potential for sustainable energy strategy and implementation. An assessment of the rural energy use in Cambodia was carried out by a survey in Memot district. It was found that around 9% of the residents have assesses to electricity from EDC grid; approximately 10% use small engine and generator; 63% use kerosene, and 18% of households use candles. The energy used for cooking is mostly firewood (93%), while 5% use charcoal and nearly 2% use gas stove. The survey result shows that about 67% of households spend up to 10,000 R (equivalent to 15 kWh of electricity) for electricity per month (lighting and other purposes). The agricultural system in Cambodia uses low technology and depends on rain, and the irrigation systems are few. The agricultural instruments used arc buffalo, cattle and small tractor for fanning and plantation. The result of survey on agricultural system in Memot district shows that the use of buffaloes and cattle are the most common is nearly 50% of the households, though about 33% of households do not own them. Most energy consumption in industries are generated by diesel generator, that is owned by factory. The annual diesel consumed is about 1,456 kiloliters, and electricity consumption is around 6,091 MWh per year. The application potential of renewable energy technologies in rural Cambodia is high. This has been demonstrated through the use of RETScreen for photovoltaics and micro hydro systems in rural Cambodia