New plant to generate power from rice husks

via CAAI News Media

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 15:02 Chun Sophal

BVB INVESTMENT Company is set to build a US$21 million rice husk-fuelled power plant in Kampong Thom province later this year, its president has said.

The plant would make BVB the first company in Cambodia to produce biofuel on an industrial scale from rice husks, according to the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy.

BVB President Duong Vibol told the Post on Tuesday that the power station planned for Steung Saen district would be capable of producing 10 megawatts of electricity for rice mills and consumers in Kampong Thom province. Construction is due to begin in seven months, he added.

“We hope that a power plant, which will use 20 tonnes of rice husk [a day] to generate electricity, will come into operation next year. Electricity generated by the plant will be sold to local consumers at a cheap price,” he said.

Planned distribution

According to the company’s business plan, 2MW of the electricity generated by the plant will be supplied to rice mills, 6MW will be distributed wholesale to dealers, and the remaining 2MW will be used as reserve power, said Duong Vibol.

Tun Lean, director general of energy at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said that using rice husks to generate electricity is a good idea, as it would have no negative impact on the Kingdom’s environment.

Earlier this month, BVB Investment confirmed that it had put $10 million towards building a new rice mill in Kampong Thom capable of processing 30 tonnes of rice per hour for export.