MAN commissions 200 MW Cambodian power plant

MAN Energy Solutions has commissioned a 200 MW power plant near the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and handed it over to the national utility, Electricité du Cambodge.

The power plant consists of 11 MAN 18V51/60DF engines and covers the average energy requirements for around 70 000 households. China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC) was responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the power plant, while MAN Energy Solutions took care of the supply and commissioning of the engines and related plant auxiliaries.

In the dry seasons of recent years, the country’s national grid has faced stability issues due to the inability of its hydropower plants to operate at full capacity, MAN said. As a result, the Cambodian government launched an emergency program in 2019 to stabilize the supply system through flexible generation capacity.

The Cambodian power plant consists of 11 MAN 18V51/60DF engines.

The project followed a tight timeline to deliver and successfully commission all eleven engines in less than 20 months. Ultimately, the MAN project team succeeded despite the numerous constraints posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For three months in the spring of 2020, our supervisors were only able to monitor the assembly of the plant remotely,” said Martin Höhler, Head of Power, Asia Pacific Region at MAN Energy Solutions. “However, thanks to digital tools, a special effort by all sides and our excellent cooperation with CHMC, we were able to make up this time and maintain the ambitious schedule.”

The power plant will initially run on heavy fuel oil, however, it will be possible to operate the dual-fuel engines with much-lower-emission natural gas in the future, MAN said.

“The plant is located directly on the banks of the Mekong River in the Lvea Aem district in Kandal Province, with the potential to add an LNG terminal at a later date,” Höhler said. “Our engines are designed for natural gas and can switch seamlessly from one fuel type to another during operation.”

MAN Energy Solutions will continue to support the project after commissioning. As part of a service contract, MAN PrimeServ, the company’s after-sales brand, will supply OEM spare parts, special services and digital solutions for the power plant over the next five years. Cambodian O&M company, SchneiTec Co. Ltd., is responsible for operating the facility.