Photo 1. Group photo of the Focus Group Discussion on APG-related Projects with Cambodia APG Stakeholders.
Cambodia, 10 September 2025 – The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), with the support from multiple development partners, convened a Focus Group Discussion with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) Cambodia, Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC), and Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) in Phnom Penh. In line with the implementation of APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025, the FGD aimed to consult the APG stakeholders in Cambodia regarding the ongoing APG projects, which include the APG Project Preparation Facility, the 1st Data Sharing Pathfinder Project, and the Regional Power Market (RPM) Development.
Photo 2. Welcoming remarks by Prihastya Wiratama, Project Manager of ASEAN Power Interconnection at the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE).
The Focus Group Discussion began with a welcoming remark from Prihastya Wiratama, Project Manager of ASEAN Power Interconnection, expressing appreciation to the distinguished participants from MME, EAC, and EDC for their unwavering support towards the APG development. Along with showcasing the secured funding from multiple partners for feasibility studies, he also underlined the need for closer collaboration to advance interconnection projects that support national priorities and assist ASEAN in achieving its goal of a secure and sustainable regional power system.
Photo 3. Ignatius Primadi Limin, Senior Researcher of ACE (left) and Marcel Nicky Arianto, Research Analyst of ACE (right), delivering scene setting presentations on APG-related Projects.
Prihastya Wiratama continued the opening remarks with a scene setting presentation on the Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach for Accelerating Sustainable Energy Transition (MPA-ASET), a programme supported by the World Bank. The presentation highlighted efforts to strengthen the ASEAN Energy Database System (AEDS), support renewable energy innovation and prepare feasibility studies for cross-border interconnections.
The session continued with a presentation by Marcel Nicky Arianto, outlining the 1st Data Sharing Pathfinder Project. The presentation emphasised the need to harmonise historical power exchange data-sharing framework throughout the region to close existing data gaps and create the foundation for a more open and well-coordinated cross-border electricity market in the region.
Photo 4. Heang Theangseng, Chief of Office, Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) presenting Cambodia’s Power Development Plan and future renewable energy targets.
Ignatius Primadi Limin, Senior Researcher at ACE, continued with a presentation on the ADB-funded Regional Power Market (RPM) Study, which addresses the overview of the programme. The presentation underlined the objective of the study in understanding challenges and opportunities of ASEAN power market to produce a Regional Power Market Roadmap, starting with data collection activities.
The session was followed by a presentation delivered by Heang Theangseng, Chief of Office at Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), outlining Cambodia’s Energy and Power Development Plan, which covered the current status of the national power system development, cross-border electricity exchanges with neighboring countries, and the country’s long-term plans to expand the capacity and share of renewable energy. This session highlighted the importance of coordinating national plans and strengthening institutional capacity to support future multilateral power trade in the region.
The agenda then moved to in-depth discussions on APG-related priorities from Cambodian stakeholders. In the first session, the main challenges and requirements for expanding cross-border electricity trade were discussed, in accordance with Cambodia’s national energy targets and power system planning. This was followed by exchanges of historical power system data. During this session, data governance, data collection methods, and data granularity were discussed as the key highlights of the session, underlining the importance of data access in enabling greater multilateral power trading in ASEAN.
Photo 5. Interactive discussion among MME, EAC, and EDC representatives on APG-related Projects.
The agenda also covered regulatory, commercial, and environmental considerations for feasibility studies, with a focus on the necessity of adhering to local regulations regarding commercial arrangements, environmental goals, and socio-environmental safeguards. The final session was focused on preparing the prerequisites for developing interconnection projects, highlighting the need clarity of requirements, joint cooperation frameworks between the connecting utilities, and alignment between national planning and regional aspirations.
The Focus Group Discussion concluded with a common understanding to push forward mutual collaboration and ensure that Cambodia's power development is in line with ASEAN's main objective of a sustainable and integrated regional grid. As a way forward, the key insights and recommendations from the sessions are expected to feed into the preparation of feasibility studies and database strengthening under the ASEAN Power Grid, opening the door to a more secure and reliable multilateral power trading in the region.
