Cambodia looking to Russia and China to develop nuclear energy
To reach an upper-medium level of development this decade, greater investments in energy are needed. For supporters, nuclear plants would guarantee stable and "clean" energy, and improve the environment at a critical juncture for traditional renewables. Moscow and Beijing would partner in infrastructure development.
Phnom Penh (AsiaNews) – In a country that has a lower-medium income economy, but aims for the upper-middle income level within the current decade, the chosen path of growth and sustainability seems to be paying off.
This is especially the case with the focus on the garment industry, tourism, agriculture and construction as the "engines" of development (also under the pressure of international, especially Chinese interests in the garment industry, accessories, and other sectors).
However, after averaging 7.6 per cent growth between 1995 and 2019, further development requires greater planning. This is underscored in the World Bank's 2024 Report on Middle-Income Nations, which calls for more investments, the development of human resources, and greater innovation to counter the potential of stagnation.
With two big neighbours like Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia is in fact at the risk of being squeezed out, so that access to resources and their use become essential. This, in turn, must be reconciled with the commitment to zero carbon emissions under the Paris climate agreement, as well as reforestation from 43 per cent to 60 per cent of its territory by mid-century.
To this end, the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Hun Manet is now considering the development of nuclear energy. For local supporters of this option, it would not only provide stable, almost "clean" energy and boost high-tech production, but it would also provide technological means to improve air and water quality.
France but even more so Russia and China could partner with Cambodia to build nuclear power plants, while Microsoft and Amazon could contribute to the development of small modular reactors.
Ultimately this could reduce energy reliance on Cambodia’s neighbours, which is one of the goals of laid out in the government’s Cambodia Vision 2050 project. In the country’s current energy mix, renewable resources have fallen from 54 per cent in 2016 to 35 per cent in 2021 but now stand at around 50 per cent, affected by various factors (like prolonged droughts).
According to the International Energy Association, 46 per cent of Cambodia’s electricity comes from river and sea sources, while 42 per cent come from coal; the remainder from other energy sources and oil.
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08/11/2019 09:30
