The 80-megawatt Stung Pursat 1 hydropower project in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district is almost complete, and expected to begin generating electricity in December this year. The developer explained that the dam could also help reduce downstream flooding and provide water for agriculture during the dry season.
The project located in Stung Thmei village, Pramaoy commune, Veal Veng district, approximately 75 kilometres from Pursat town, is being developed by South Korean company SPHP (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. Construction began in 2021.
Hong Soo Young, managing director of the project, escorted the media on an October 23 tour of the facility. He noted that construction of the main structures was entering its final stage, while the closure of the dam’s gates to begin storing water in its reservoir had been successfully completed.
He said the project was expected to begin generating electricity in December, although reaching its full installed capacity of 80MW could take until the following year, as the reservoir had yet to accumulate sufficient water for full-scale generation.
“Construction is now more than 90 per cent complete. We expect to begin generating electricity in December 2026 and reach the full capacity of 80MW the following year,” he noted, via an interpreter.
Hong explained that although water availability fluctuates between the wet and dry seasons, the dam has been designed with substantial storage capacity to support year-round electricity generation rather than relying solely on river flows.
The project has a total installed capacity of 80MW, comprising two equal generation units.
The reservoir has a total storage capacity of approximately 1.2265 billion cubic metres, including about 999 million cubic metres of regulating storage.
The project also includes a spillway, water conveyance structures, a powerhouse, a switchyard and a 230-kilovolt electricity transmission line.
Beyond electricity generation, Hong noted that one of the dam’s other significant potential benefits was its ability to retain water upstream, helping reduce the volume of water flowing into downstream areas during periods of heavy rainfall.
He explained that when substantial rainfall occurs, the reservoir can capture and retain a large volume of water rather than allowing it to flow towards Pursat town all at once, potentially easing flood pressure in downstream communities.
“The first benefit is electricity generation. Second, because the dam can store a large amount of water, it can retain a significant volume during heavy rainfall, reducing the amount of water flowing downstream towards Pursat town,” he explained.
He did not provide a specific assessment of how much the dam could reduce flooding or the geographical extent of the areas that might benefit from improved water management.
During the dry season, water stored in the reservoir could be used to generate electricity, while water discharged through the turbines could also support agricultural activities in downstream areas.
Hong said turbine discharge could reach approximately 3.5 million cubic metres per day, under optimal operating conditions.
He explained that the geographical characteristics of the Veal Veng area were a key reason the company selected the location for investment in the roughly 100 metre high, 680 metre wide dam.
The top of the dam features a seven-metre-wide road, which the company expects could facilitate access and visits to the site in the future.
Hong acknowledged that construction over the past several years had faced challenges, particularly during the rainy season, when heavy rainfall and slippery ground conditions complicated construction activities. Work was generally easier during the dry season, he noted.
The project involved expenditure of approximately $250 million, according to him, while earlier information provided to journalists indicated an investment value of around $231 million.
He explained that the company was responsible for financing construction under a 35-year investment agreement, after which the entire project would be transferred to the Cambodian government.
Hong highlighted government support in facilitating investment conditions, land use arrangements and the documentation required for project implementation.
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He noted that the company had arranged compensation for residents whose land or property had been affected by the development according to individual circumstances, with coordination from the government, but did not specify how many households had been affected or the total amount of compensation provided.
According to the company’s schedule, construction is expected to be completed by December 31, 2026, with electricity generation scheduled to begin during the same month, adding another domestic electricity generation source to Cambodia’s energy network.
The dam’s effectiveness in managing floods and supplying water for agriculture will depend on reservoir operations, hydrological conditions and water distribution infrastructure serving downstream areas.
