Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday inaugurated a hydroelectric plant with a capacity of 18 megawatts here, saying that the plant would help reduce power shortage and reliance on diesel-fueled electricity.

The Kirirom III Hydro Power Plant, invested and constructed by the State Grid Corporation of China, was begun construction in July 2009 and completed last year, he said, adding that the project cost 47.1 million U.S. dollars.

"The dam is a new achievement for Cambodia under the investment from China," the premier said at the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue and senior Cambodian officials as well as about 2,500 locals.

Hun Sen hailed Chinese investors for their strong commitment to invest in Cambodia in all fields, saying that their investment is hugely contributed to developing Cambodia's economy and society.

"The investment has come from good relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China. On behalf of Cambodian government, I' d like to thank Chinese government for encouraging Chinese investors to Cambodia," he said. "The plant will help the country not only to reduce electricity shortage, but also to cut reliance on oil-fueled electricity."

"In the context of globally soaring oil price, electricity generated by hydropower plants is a sustainable source of electric power supply," he said.

Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Suy Sem said the project is a concessional contract of a 30-year build- operate-transfer ( BOT) with Cambodian government, and the electricity is sold to the state-owned Electricity of Cambodia at the price of 7.91 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

Currently, Cambodia has a total electric power of 790 megawatts, he said. Of the amount, it buys 196 megawatts from Vietnam, 95 megawatts from Thailand and 2 megawatts from Laos, and the remaining amount is generated by local hydroelectric dams and oil- fueled plants.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pan Xiaojun, Head of Inspection Group of the State Grid Corporation of China, expressed profound thanks to Cambodian government, Chinese Embassy to Cambodia and local authorities for their facilitation and cooperation until the project was successfully completed.

"China and Cambodia are close friends and to support Cambodia in social and economic development, many Chinese investors have invested in various fields in Cambodia, especially in electricity, " he said. "With the operation of the Kirirom III Hydro Power Plant, we believe that it will reduce power shortage in Cambodia."

He said that the 18-megawatt plant can produce electricity of 78 million kilowatt hours a year.

The minister Suy Sem said that the Kirirom III dam is the 3rd China-invested hydroelectric dam that began operation in Cambodia. The first two operational dams are Kirirom I with the capacity of 12 megawatts in Kampong Speu province and the 193-megawatt Kamchay Hydro Power Plant in Kampot province.

Besides, he said, 3 other hydropower dams, invested by Chinese companies, are under construction in Cambodia. Those are Tatay River hydropower dam with the capacity of 246 megawatts, Atay River hydropower dam of 120 megawatts and Russei Chrum Krom with the capacity of 338 megawatts.

All the projects are expected to be completed by 2015.