|
SMEs in
Decentralized Energy Services Conference
Hotel Cambodiana Phnom Penh, Cambodia April 6-7, 2009
Overview of the results
of the Program
The World Bank – ESMAP/Dfid
Cambodian SMEs in Decentralized Energy Services
Program has put a priority on undertaking pilot projects to demonstrate the
commercial viability of appropriate sustainable and efficient energy technologies
that would benefit rural families including the poor. The first activity of
the program was a baseline assessment and formulation of a strategy to
choose the most promising proven technologies that could make a substantial
improvement to livelihoods of families in rural areas. The initial list of
8 projects was reduced to 3 pilot projects on cookstoves,
biomass gasification and LED lanterns for each of which a case study has
been formulated.
During the project implementation funds were
secured for 2 additional pilot projects one to support a private sector
development program for the National Biodigester
Program and the second to develop a Model Production Facility for the
efficient Neang Kongrey
Cookstoves. The World Bank ESMAP Project also
coordinated two research projects, the first generated data on the benefits
of the energy technologies and promising dissemination strategies and a
second project analyzed the gender roles and formulated recommendations for
gender mainstreaming of sustainable and efficient energy service delivery.
The program also provided support to CKN and EDC-training Center to train 150 managers and
technicians from Rural Electricity Enterprises on technology of electricity
supply and management which as already resulted in significant improvements
of electricity generation and distribution systems with up to 20% reduction
in losses. REEs access to finance is also part of
the program that designed a funding mechanism to finance grid extension to
connect more households in rural areas.
As part of the cookstove
pilot the commercialization an efficient cookstove
for small scale industries such as the production of palm sugar was tested.
In the field the “Vattanak” Stove that means
promise, achieved a 40% firewood saving however is
relatively expensive at $70 per stove. The “Vattanak”
stove pilot trials were undertaken with palms sugar producers for which the
rising cost of fuelwood was becoming prohibitive
and many stopped producing. The Vattanak stove
enables the producers to make high valued granulated sugar as the heat of
the fire can be regulated. The granulated sugar is a new product developed
recently in Cambodia
and has high potential for the local and international market. The NGO that
undertook the pilot trials created a new social venture company to market
the sugar. This company has pre-financed the construction of about 40 palm
sugar stoves and started packaging and promoting granulated palm sugar in
March 2009. The stove has also potential for other Small Scale Industries
(SSI), such as noodle makers, rice wine, soybean processing.
Overall the World Bank ESMAP Program made a
substantial contribution to better understand the needs of energy services
in rural areas and how sustainable and efficient energy technologies should
be commercialized. All the piloted technologies are one step ahead and are
ready to be implemented in National Programs. The case studies describe the
essential experiences that are gained from the pilot projects and outlines
the next steps to be taken to not only pilot communities but to reach out
to all 13.000 Cambodian villages.
|
