Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) has granted €300,000 to the Kingdom of Cambodia to draw up a model of energy-transition scenarios to 2050, the French development agency revealed in a statement published on April 1.

AFD has supported the Ministry of Economy and Finance and other line-ministries to develop a long-term energy trajectory-modelling tool to perform strategic, policy-level analysis in support of decision-making and multi-stakeholder policy dialogue in the energy sector.

The agency said the project was launched in January with the support of the 2050 Facility to support long-term low carbon development trajectories, noting that it finances a programme entitled “Energy Sector Modelling Tool for the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Royal Government of Cambodia”.

The statement said the project will develop a robust, user-friendly, Excel-based energy sector modelling tool, capable of aggregating existing data inputs and studies to model energy supply and demand dynamics across all major energy types and at least 10 end-use sectors.

It listed four long-term energy-transition scenarios to 2050 analysed in the model – “current policies”, “least-cost development”, “sustainable development” and “balanced”.

AFD noted that it is also accompanying stakeholders in mobilising modelling tools and scenario analyses in decision-making and policy dialogue processes through technical training and capacity building, as well as through consultative working group meetings and the development of policy memos.

It noted that through the 2050 Facility, AFD signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy and Finance on July 24.

The Cambodian economy, mainly driven by the industrial sector, is growing rapidly while biomass remains the country's primary source of energy, the demand for electricity is booming – analyses forecast an average increase of 15 per cent per year until 2040.