AKP Phnom Penh, February 04, 2026 --

The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has opened a public consultation process on key environmental and social safeguard documents related to the Cambodia Sustainable Energy Transition (CSET) Project, a major World Bank-backed initiative aimed at modernising the Kingdom’s power sector.

According to a statement released by the ministry on Feb. 4, the Royal Government of Cambodia, through the MME and Electricité du Cambodge (EDC), is implementing the project with financial support of around US$110 million from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) under its Multi-Phase Approach programme.

The programme is designed to support Cambodia’s transition towards a more reliable, low-carbon and climate-resilient electricity system. 

Key activities under the CSET Project include strengthening grid reliability and capacity in the Phnom Penh-Kandal corridor, deploying grid-scale battery energy storage systems to support renewable energy integration and load shifting, expanding and reinforcing electricity distribution networks in priority service areas, and promoting industrial energy efficiency through a simplified credit-line facility managed by the MME.

As part of the project’s preparation, the Ministry has disclosed an Environmental and Social Management Framework along with a comprehensive set of related safeguard instruments, in line with the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework on stakeholder engagement and information disclosure. These documents set out how potential environmental and social risks will be identified, assessed and managed throughout the life of the project.

The framework also outlines commitments on stakeholder engagement, labour management, resettlement principles and protections for indigenous communities, ensuring that project activities are carried out transparently and in accordance with international standards, the ministry said.

The full documentation has been made publicly available through the MME’s official website and an online document repository, allowing interested parties to review the materials in detail. The ministry has encouraged members of the public, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to submit comments and feedback.

The CSET Project is expected to play a central role in Cambodia’s long-term energy transition, supporting grid stability, renewable energy deployment and more efficient energy use as electricity demand continues to grow.

By Sum Kosal