Cambodia : Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Project (ADB-59110-001)

Regions
  • East Asia and Pacific
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Cambodia
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Phnom Penh
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • Asian Development Bank (ADB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
B
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Borrower
Government of Cambodia
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Energy
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
$ 40.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Loan Amount (USD)
$ 40.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 62.10 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ ADB website

Updated in EWS Jul 1, 2025

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

As stated by the ADB, the proposed project will (i) install a 200 MW/400 MWh of utility-scale BESS at a substation in the north of Phnom Penh to supply ancillary service for stabilizing the transmission grid and improving power quality, avoiding curtailment and (ii) enhance technical and regulatory capacity of EDC for technically and financially sustainable BESS operation. The project will aim at deploying at least 2100 MW / 4100 MWh of BESS capacity with grid-forming inverter in various locations across Cambodia mostly for ancillary services, peak load shifting and grid congestion relief.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

The ADB categorized the E&S risk of the project as follows:

  • Environment - B;
  • Involuntary Resettlement - B;
  • Indigenous Peoples - C.
Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

As stated by the ADB, the total project cost is estimated at $62.1 million, of which $40 million is to be financed with ADB concessional OCR, $20 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility Green Recovery Program (ACGF GRP) and the remainder through co-financing.

Private Actors Description
A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

As stated by Devex, according to Decree No.665-NS of October 10, 1958, two companies, Water and Electricity (CEE) and the Electricity Indochina (UNEDI), united together as the sole company named Electricité du Cambodge.

In March 1996 (through the Royal Decree Jsc / Ratana / 0396/10 dated March 9, 1996), EDC was designated a limited liability company by the state responsible for transmission, transmission and distribution of electricity throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia. Electricite du Cambodge is a legal entity with administrative and financial autonomy with a commercial goal, with rights and responsibilities determined by law. EDC is directly responsible for all fees and liabilities, and all liabilities to the level of its value. At the same time, the provincial electricity units were transferred from the provincial Department of Industry, Mines and Energy to the power of Electricite du Cambodge:

Private Actor 1 Private Actor 1 Role Private Actor 1 Sector Relation Private Actor 2 Private Actor 2 Role Private Actor 2 Sector
- - - - Electricite Du Cambodge Contractor Energy

Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

ADB Team Leader:

Shigeru Yamamura - Principal Energy Specialist

No contacts available at the time of disclosure.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.adb.org/forms/request-information-form

ADB has a two-stage appeals process for requesters who believe that ADB has denied their request for information in violation of its Access to Information Policy. You can learn more about filing an appeal at: https://www.adb.org/site/disclosure/appeals

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main.

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How it works