Preface:

The issue of air pollution is always the international leading role for several decades and each country cites the hazard degree of carbon emission. To contain the carbon emission situation, Europe and America implement carbon tax. It is considered as the second in the greenhouse gas emission, China has started to promote the green power. In Cambodia, the Taiwan-funded firm has also started to use the power generation of solar energy for production. No matter it is due to the commercial interests or dedicate to the environmental protection, the work of saving energy & reducing carbon demands immediate action since it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the earth.

Recently, the well-known China media worker Chai Jing shot an investigated film 《Under the Dome》with respect to the air pollution in China. This film is presented in the recording form of public speaking, Chai Jing acts as the speaker for introduction and inserts the segments of interview shots to appeal people concerning the issue of air pollution in China.

However, this film aroused hot discussion is rumored that it has been blocked, many websites have removed this film, it is our belief that this matter is still very much alive in everyone’s memory.

The air pollution situation in Cambodia is certainly less serious than China, however, prevention is always better than cure, the first 100 megawatts coal-fired power plant and the 230 kilovolts Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham transmission grid were started to use last year in our country. Even it is able to implement the self-sufficient target of electricity for our country, however, it creates the opportunity for the pollution imperceptibly.

However, the development pace is accelerated daily in Phnom Penh capital, the urban area expands gradually, the buildings stand one after another, various kinds of traffic tools run on the road, especially the number of motorcycles is amazing. In addition, the government has not set and controlled the smoke emission regulations, the exhaust gas emitted by these cars that is the hazard gas e.g. carbon dioxide etc., the harm caused to the human body shall not be underestimated.

According to the data of Greenpeace website, Harvard University has studied the air pollution problem focusing on Asia and South-East regions including China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Philippines.

As found out from this study result, the coal-fired power plant has not only emitted the particulate matter (hereinafter referred to as PM2.5) directly but also emitted sulfide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOX), soot and dust, facilitate the formation of PM2.5, enter human lungs through the respiratory system, and then circulate around the body along with the blood, cause death and many health problems.

 

 

Energy Transformation is Imperative

As indicated by the project director Tsai Pei-yuan of Greenpeace, the energy selection is not only a matter of carbon emission, but also closely related to the air pollution and has absolute effect to the human health. The high-pollution coal-fired power plant is not only harmful to environment but also always the threat to health. The energy transformation is imperative, the renewable energy is the best answer.

In the year of 2013, International Agency for Research on Cancer has already classified PM2.5 as a human carcinogen, long-term exposure in the PM2.5 environment will raise the opportunity of causing lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, lower respiratory infections and asthma etc., and it is more likely cause of cancer death.

Only in the year of 2010, there were over 3 million cases of premature death caused due to PM2.5. Take Korea as example, the PM2.5 emitted from the current coal-fired power plants will cause 1100cases of premature death.

As indicated from the above stated data, the global air pollution situation has intensified, becomes worse, and all these years, there are two hydropower projects involved the damage of ecological environment in our country i.e. Stung Cheay Areng hydropower station and No.2 hydropower station located at Nishiyama River downstream that have been criticized by non-governmental organization (NGO). The construction progress is not smooth and even unable to start.

Under the involvement and inspiration of NGO, the environmental awareness has entered into our country eventually, the issue of air pollution has gained importance at the same time, some factories or firms enter into the commercial field of our country under the name of “Energy Saving for Environmental Protection, Reducing Carbon Emission”, on the one hand, save the cost, on the other hand, do a little endeavor to protect the earth from the energy saving.

 

 

NGO
Promote Solar Energy at Countryside

It is understood that the demand of solar energy products is risen in the America, Asia-Pacific regions, but declined in Europe since the year of 2012 that causes the dramatic change to the global market territory of solar energy. In the year of 2015, it is estimated that the global new installations of solar energy will be increased to 51GW and the scale will be up to one hundred billion US dollars.

In our country, solar power is not strange. Currently, many rural areas in Cambodia unable to connect with the grid network are gaining the power project of solar energy to get the power supply; the solar energy becomes one of the main fields for the development of the renewable energy in Cambodia, the government target is to implement the electricity available for the nationwide villages in the year of 2020, and the electricity available for 70% of the total population in the year of 2030.

Fulgent Sun International (Holding) Co., Ltd., a company from Taiwan, set up factory in Phnom Penh last year, constructed the 6000KW power generation equipment of solar energy, adopted the parallel mode of solar power taken precedence, supply mains for the electricity shortage to perform operation and production.

 

 

Due to the shortage of fundamental power generation facilities in Cambodia, the electricity charge is 0.2 to 0.3 US dollars per kilowatt hour, it is over 2 times of Taiwan cost.

In addition, with the increasing awareness of importance to the carbon emission regulations for the factories by governments, European Union (EU) plans to impose carbon tax on the imported products based on the “Carbon Footprint” (carbon labeling) in the future. Therefore, it is determined that the Cambodian factories shall be built to the green environmental protection factories with both of the LED energy saving and power generation of solar energy.

The clothing footwear manufacturers have spent 3 million US dollars to use the solar power working with the direct grid network that has reduced the carbon emission up to 50% at least.

A few days ago, Chairman Chang Chin-fun and General Manager Chang Wen-yen of Budget Energy Corp. who is responsible for the installation works, led the reporters to that plant and explained the process and usage method of solar energy power generation.

When walked into one of the huge plants, Chang Chin-fun pointed out the number shown on the display screen that the carbon emission of this factory has already reduced 220 tons from last year up to now.

 

 

Long Insolation Duration in Cambodia

As indicated by him during the interview by《Cambodia Sin Chew Daily》, Cambodia is the country with abundant resource of solar energy, long insolation duration, good photothermal effect. When the factory was built last year, it had already planned to use the power generation of solar energy since it can save the electricity cost and able to recover the cost within six years.

He says, one kilowatt hour of electricity generates 2.7kg carbon, take the coal-fired power plant in Sihanoukville as example, one kilowatt hour of electricity generates around 2kg carbon.

He continues to say, if the power generation of solar energy is fully used, the carbon emission is zero. Since the above mentioned factory also uses the direct grid transmission, but the carbon emission is reduced at least 50%.

“We all know that the global warming is getting worse, United Nations always requests to reduce carbon emission and promotes the green energy to achieve the target of reducing 40% carbon emission as set down by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the year of 2009. The power generation of solar energy is helpful for alleviating the climate warming.”

It is worth to mention that the factory also uses the LED lighting equipment able to save power up to 60%. Factory workers do not feel sultry at work, and further achieve the purpose of environmental protection.

 

 

Impose Carbon Tax is the Trend

When ask about the local people have rather week environmental awareness, Chang Chin-fun thinks, Cambodian government does not understand this issue, but the private enterprises well aware of this completely, the factories of using the power generation of solar energy have increase gradually.

He mentions, European and America countries implement the carbon tax one by one in the recent years i.e. request the company clearly labeled the ingredient of carbon footprint on the product. If the high carbon emission occurs during the manufacturer’s production process which causes the buyer imposed with the carbon tax and risen the cost, the manufacturer will lose this order at any time eventually.

Even this taxation system has not been officially launched, but many companies have already aware that carbon tax is the trend, the factories of using the power generation of solar energy will be more and more in the future.

 

 

Take into Account of Both Environmental Protection & Economic Benefits

As indicated by Chang Ming-chi, Executive Associate of Qi Ding Enterprise Co., Ltd. under the Fulgent Sun Group, using the power generation of solar energy is able to meet the economic benefits achievement, and implement the purpose of green energy and environmental protection at the same time, .improve the factory’s reputation.

He says, the solar power used by that factory occupies over 30% of the electricity, save energy for the company and achieve the economic benefits, and the effect is quite significant.

He continues to say, the purpose of founding factory by the company is to feedback society and green environmental protection, even the factories established in China are also built mainly as the green factory.

“Since we focus on the environmental protection, the factory is a green factory in the eyes of buyers, it is our belief that will bring the positive effect to the orders.”

When asked about if using the solar power is to pave the road for carbon tax, Chang Ming-chi denies this saying, and indicates that Cambodia has not affected by this taxation system yet.

However, he thinks, given the facts that the factory has already proceeded the work of reducing carbon emission at the present time, once the taxation system is implemented, it will be beneficial to the factory. (Cambodia Sin Chew Daily)