Unofficial Translation

Selected Comments at Inspection of the Komjai Hydro Power Construction Site and Presiding over Initial Generation of 10 MW electricity in Kompot Province

07 December 2009

I am so happy to have come to the hydro-electric power construction site here in Komjai of Kompot province after I cancelled last month my schedule to preside over the blocking the last segment of the hydro dam when we had this effect and aftermath from Ketsana typhoon. My visit here today is for one part to inspect the construction activities and for another to symbolically press a button for initial power generation of 10 mgw.

I am so happy that I am welcomed here by Deputy Prime Minister HE Keat Chhon and other leaders with whom I recalled what my theory has been – water, road, electricity and human resources. We have all been doing what we can so far to achieve the four objectives. They have become our objectives since 1987 or about 22 years now. They are still responsive to our situation – which means, we still need to resolve water for irrigation, road for transportation, electricity for over all development and human resources.

As far as Kompot province is concerned, many road projects are underway, one of which the National Road 3 that is linking this part between Kompot city to Phnom Penh. We already put into use road and bridges from Kompot city to Tropeang Ropov and the NR 31 to the border with Vietnam. We have dam projects in Tomnob Konsat, Tomnob Mlij and some other roads too. Schools have been constructed in large number as well for human resources development. Gen Meas Sophea of the General Staff in charge of infantry force is putting thought on building a University somewhere between Takeo and Kompot provinces.

Here we are at the hydro power station which means that we are putting efforts on issue of electricity. As you can see and hear these are the four priorities that the Royal Government has given to Kompot province like elsewhere in the country. Kompot could also do something that other province could not do and that is the production of salt.

HE Suy Sem, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy, correctly told you that this project at Komjai has indeed been our people’s wish for a long time. Under the Sangkum Reastniyum, the former Soviet Union sent in their engineers to conduct feasibility studies. But because of wars, the project could never get off the ground. Kirirom hydropower station was in operation then but was destroyed later in the time of war in 1970. Later, the Chinese company invested and put back the project at Kirirom I into operation. They are working on the project of Kirirom III.

Komjai has taken us longer time because it is a bigger project. Still it is better than we had to abandon it for 40 years because of wars. That is why I urge for debate and verbal exchange but not war because that would bring about destruction for the country.

If in those days Samdech Preah Norodom Sihaniouk was not ousted from power, war would not have flared up and we do not have to come back here again for groundbreaking at all as it would be in place already. As soon as the country enjoys peace we have fully engaged again starting with international bidding and finally SinoHydro is the company that wins the bidding.

HE Wen Jiabao and I have presided over the groundbreaking from the Cabinet office in Phnom Penh, and there have been many coordination and lobbies involved. We should hail SinoHydro for its efforts in construction phase of the project though it has had to weather impacts from world financial crisis, at the time that some countries could not even assure the operation of own country’s projects, not to mention of bringing capital to outside the country. None of the Chinese companies operating in Cambodia, despite those difficulties, withdraws from their commitments.

The ASEAN Summit at Hua Hin has recorded Chinese commitment of 1.7 billion US dollars and many projects have to be prepared with this pledge. I would like to take this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks to the Government of the People’s Republic of China who, through the Ambassador to Cambodia, has facilitated a good cooperation for investment in Cambodia. The Government of PRC has shown through its provision of loan, especially increasing financial support for investors, which could be considered a form of support for capital outflow to help other developing countries.

I also take this time to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to those state institutions involved because this sort of investment requires support not only from the Royal Government but also from the legislation since within 45 years, more than one government will be changed. A guarantee by the National Assembly is a must and a management of political risk needs to be assured. Aside from the executive and legislative assurance, there also has been participation and cooperation by concerned local level authorities.

There have been proposal for purchase of rock for quarry purpose. I have turned the suggestion away because firstly we need those blasted rocks for own construction, secondly, most of our rock basis is still young, and thirdly, many rock bases need to be protected for its historical position, for example some rock bases lie with mountains where they used to be hiding places of former Kings of Cambodia or tourist destinations.

So I warn officials to think no more of selling rock. In reality some provinces of ours have had to bring in construction materials such as blasted rock for construction or laterite from elsewhere, for instance Svai Rieng, these materials have to be brought in from either Prey Veng’s Tchoeu Kaj or from Vietnam.

It is grateful that the SinoHydro of PRC has built a road for the sake of delivering blasted rocks from two mountains and it would also be a plus, after the construction is over, if the company would asphalt the road since it will be staying here for another forty years. I also thank our military engineering team for their good work here, according Deputy Prime Minister HE Keat Chhon, in clearing mines and UXOs for a size of 17.5 million square meters for the cost of 13 million Riels.

Because Cambodia went through a long time war, for every construction project, we have a de-mining and UXOs removing component work to do. Our effort in de-mining is not active only in Cambodia, but we have done it in Sudan as well. According to the report by HE Prak Sokhonn, Minister attached to the Prime Minister, upon his return from the meeting in Columbia, no country objects to the proposition that Cambodia will hosts in 2011 the summit of county members of Ottawa Treaty. Cambodia has had good experiences in de-mining.

I would give some recommendations that HE Mok Maret, Minister for Environment, is jointly in charge jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, on the work to remove trees from area before the dam. As we block the dam, water will definitely flood the area that could either suffocate those trees to death and logs would flow into turbines of the station. There needs to be clearance but I must have your attention here that clearance must be in proper procedure with bidding process if necessary. I would not accept uncontrollable and unmanageable logging here.

I also urge for a smooth cooperation by local authorities and our people with concerned institutions in wiring transmission from Komjai station linking to Kompot city and on to Takeo province. It will be connected to the main gridline from Vietnam. On the other side we also link from Kompot to Preah Sihanouk province to the line that is carrying power from 200 mw clean coal energized power production with another 700 mw of power.

I may need to clarify that we have so many projects these days and if we are talking about hydropower, we have ten projects that are either under construction or study. We have the hydropower station of Komjai which is producing 193 mw, the Chinese companies is prepared for the construction four other stations in Pursat province – Stoeung Atai, 120 mw; Stoeung Ta Tai, 246 mw; Russeijum Kraom, 338 mw; and Stoeng Jiey Aren, 108 mw. So from Pursat province, which I used to say that it will become a battery source for Cambodia, we will have 900 mw of power that can be provided to Phnom Penh, to Battambang province and on to Banteay Mean Chey and Siemreap because we already have our gridline there already.

Nine other hydropower stations under study are Se San Kraom I, 90 mw; Se San Kraom II, 400 mw; Se San Kraom III, 180 mw; Prek Laang I, 64 mw; Prek Laang II, 64 mw; Sre Pork Kraom III, 330 mw; Sre Pork IV, 235 mw; Stoeng Treng, 980 mw; Sambo, 260 mw. Particularly, Se San Kraom II would be under construction soon. We are in the process of price discussion and bidding for wire transmission linking from Phnom Penh to Kompong Cham, and from the border with Laos to Stoeung Treng and on to Kratie with financial sources from India. So the whole country will secure its demand of electricity with gridlines from many electric generation sources.

Because we have here the presence of communal councils and district councils, I would like to stress what HE Suy Sem has said about impact of the project on normal natural condition. Despite these controllable impacts, we have benefited from a production of 193 mw of electricity, managing flood and filling waterway at Tchou permanently in both rainy and dry seasons. It can be beneficial for both tourist and cultivation purposes. Beneficial of all perhaps is the fact that we will have water for use in the city of Kompot for free. So I hope that the price of portable water in Kompot will be lower than at present since the water supply station will not have to pay for pumping water anymore.

The state has been compensating for the loss of electric production for people in Phnom Penh and hopes that the electricity from hydropower stations will bring the price down too. For instance, the company will sell electricity to Cambodia at a price like 8 cent per kilowatt and from Phnom Penh sale could go up to ten cents per kilowatt. So we would have to suffer impacts such as flooding in some twenty square kilometers but we could mitigate impacts on environment that would otherwise be created by emission.

Finally I would like to answer to your concern on the health condition of Samdech Akka Moha Dhamma Pothisal Chea Sim. I do not want anyone to use this situation and falsify it for their sake. Samdech Dhmma Pothisal was sick indeed from high blood pressure and later was sent to Singapore for urgent medical attention. I was with him from the time that I had the information at about 20 pm and returned home at about 01 am the following day.

Finally we had an urgent medical flight coming in from Singapore and got him off for medical attention. Now he is doing better and normal. I just want it confirmed as I do not want this to be a political twist by anyone...

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