Cambodia’s 1GWh grid-forming project is a landmark for the region

At the project level, a milestone from Cambodia has placed the country at the forefront of grid-forming technology adoption in ASEAN.

In March, a 500MW/1,000MWh battery storage system with grid-forming inverters entered commercial operation in Pursat province, developed by Phnom Penh-headquartered SchneiTec at the site of one of its existing solar PV plants.

Cambodia’s official news agency, AKP, described the project as a “significant and historic achievement” and as the country’s first and largest of its kind.

SchneiTec said the asset would enhance grid reliability by minimising power fluctuations, enabling greater renewable energy integration and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, positioning Cambodia as a leader in grid-forming inverter adoption across the region.

The project follows a smaller 12MWh grid-forming testbed commissioned by SchneiTec and Huawei Digital Power in mid-2025, which demonstrated inertial response performance well beyond standard requirements.

That earlier project had demonstrated the technical viability of the approach, whilst the 1GWh asset represents its commercial deployment at scale.