Rooftop-plus-floating solar scheme nears completion in Cambodia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
News on Cambodia follows Shell's purchase last December of a 49% stake in Cleantech Solar (Credit: Cleantech Solar)

A 9.8MW PV project featuring rooftop and floating elements is approaching the finish line in Cambodia, breathing new life into a national PV scene still stuck in the low-double-digit MW region.

Cleantech Solar is building, financing and running a dual PV installation – 2.8MW in panels floating over a reservoir plus a further 7MW across rooftops – to power a production plant owned by the Chip Mong Insee Cement Corporation (CMIC) in the Kampot province.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

PV Tech understands the floating element is now fully built while the rooftop portion is nearing completion, with plans for the PV plant to become fully operational by late March 2019.

Cleantech Solar, the builder of 200MW-plus of solar capacity in Southeast Asia and India, expects its rooftop-plus-floating scheme to generate 297GWh in power. The project should slash CMIC’s CO2 emissions by 197,000 tonnes throughout its lifespan, said the Singaporean developer, partially owned by Shell since last December.

Bidders needed for 60MW plant meant to revive local PV scene

Once it is up and running, the project is set to bolster Cambodia’s still modest PV ecosystem. Capacity has steadily risen since the early 2010s but barely surpassed the 27MW mark in 2017, according to IRENA.

With the help of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the country is working to build large-scale solar into an energy mix still heavily reliant on coal, hydro and imports from Vietnam and Thailand.

The development financier supported in 2017 the country’s first large-scale PV solar scheme. Slated for construction by Sunseap Group, the 10MW Bavet farm is set to supply power to Cambodia’s electricity regulator EDC under a 20-year PPA.

Even more significant is the ADB-backed 100MW National Solar Park project, which will kick off with the setup of a 60MW plant in the Kampong Chhnang province. Under tender documents published by EDC in mid-February, aspiring developers can table bids until 17 May 2019.

An unclear legislative framework – PV was unregulated in Cambodia until last year – and grid connection bans for low-voltage facilities have impacted C&I solar in particular. As advised by lawyers approached by PV Tech, rooftop developers must ensure they have the necessary building permits and rights to use the site throughout the PPA duration.

Read Next

August 8, 2025
German renewable energy developer ib vogt has officially broken ground on a 99MWp solar PV power plant in South Cotabato, the Philippines.
August 7, 2025
US-based floating solar (FPV) developer D3Energy is constructing a 6MW floating solar system in Monroeville – a village in Huron County, Ohio. 
Premium
August 7, 2025
July 2025, the peak of the Australian winter season, saw generation from utility-scale and rooftop solar increase by 12.78% year-on-year in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
August 6, 2025
The first MW-scale floating solar project in the Philippines has come online, according to solar EPC contractor Black & Veatch.
August 5, 2025
Residential solar installations will slow in the US over the coming years, though long-term installations will remain significant, according to new research from energy analyst Wood Mackenzie.
July 30, 2025
The Government of Kyrgyzstan has signed two investment deals with Vietnamese firms Rox Energy Global and RECA LLC for the development of a 1.9GW solar project.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines