The Ministry of Mines and Energy and Huawei Technologies Cambodia co-signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on November 17 for “technical cooperation on solar energy and communications and information technology”.

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Minister of Mines and Energy Suy Sem and Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian.

The MoU focuses in part on cooperating on a study of technical standards, safety and the coordination of solar energy with a networked system to protect the stability of the power grid.

To that end, the agreement establishes a joint study of the technology of battery energy storage systems and determines the appropriate level of reliance on batteries by Cambodia’s power grid in order to reduce any potential negative impacts on the provision of electricity when using solar energy.

Further, it lays the groundwork for a study of the use of isolated solar energy systems that are not connected to the larger electrical power network, especially for villages and islands that do not yet have electricity and where connection to the main grid is impractical.

There will also be a study of the feasibility of establishing a national management system for the entire solar power grid to monitor and manage all solar power stations as well as the implementation of energy efficiency technologies and solutions to lower the Kingdom’s power requirements.

Finally, there will also be studies of communication and information technology, digital technology and other solutions and case studies of how other locations across the Asia-Pacific region are tackling these issues in order to strengthen partnership capacities.

Suy Sem said that the issues of energy, climate and the environment are some of the primary challenges that all of humanity must face in this new era.

He said that the MoU reflects those challenges by taking steps towards addressing the urgent need for a fast, just and equitable energy revolution to shift from the production and use of high-carbon energy towards the production and use of renewable energy, while also implementing measures for energy efficiency – all of which must be accomplished while maintaining an energy supply that is still adequate, high quality, reliable and affordable.