French Energy Giant Plans $1.2B Hydropower Investment in Cambodia

Électricité de France (EDF), the French state-owned energy giant, has announced its intention to invest in a major 800-megawatt (MW) hydropower project in Cambodia, with total capital investment exceeding USD 1.2 billion.

H.E. Vongsey Vissoth, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, met with an EDF delegation on February 19, 2026, to discuss ongoing cooperation. The delegation was led by French Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires, Marie Buscail, and EDF Senior VP, Erkki Maillard.

During the meeting, the EDF delegation confirmed their proposal for the 800 MW project. The Office of the Council of Ministers expressed its readiness to facilitate the project within its mandate to ensure the success of the USD 1.2 billion venture.

H.E. Vongsey Vissoth underlined how energy has become a matter of national security, particularly amid shifting global geopolitics and geoeconomics. Consequently, ensuring an affordable and stable energy supply remains a top priority for the Cambodian government, with focused placed on four key pillars – reducing costs, ensuring affordability, strengthening grid stability, and enhancing energy sovereignty. 

The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister emphasised the direct link between electricity tariffs and production costs, noting that affordable energy is vital to enhancing Cambodia's global competitive edge.

Maillard emphasised that EDF is committed to a long-term partnership, rather than a simple equipment supply agreement, stressing that large-scale infrastructure, such as hydropower, operates for decades and requires robust, sustained cooperation.

The Chargé d'Affaires of the French Embassy in Phnom Penh also reaffirmed the French government's full support for EDF’s investment in Cambodia's energy sector.