Picture 1. Celebration of the Linking up

On May 31, 2023, with the sound of explosion coming from the diversion tunnel, the diversion tunnel of CHMC Cambodia Upper Tatay Hydropower Station, was linked up successfully. The completion of the diversion tunnel is the key to realize the closure of the Kep River, the first milestone goal of Upper Tatay Hydropower Station, and lays a solid foundation for the subsequent dam Phase II filling and the overall Project to advance on time.

The diversion tunnel is arranged on the right bank of the Kep River. It is composed of the inlet channel, inlet tower, tunnel body and outlet channel, and adopts the structure of city gate tunnel. During the construction process, Cambodia Upper Tatay Hydropower Co., LTD (a subsidiary of CHMC, hereinafter referred to as ' Upper Tatay Hydropower') strictly implemented the principle of 'short penetration, weak blasting, frequent measurement and strong support', closely focused on safety, quality, schedule and other requirements, took various effective measures to overcome the influence of external factors such as difficult environment and bad weather, carefully organized and scientific management. The Project construction work was promoted with high standards, high quality and high efficiency, and the two-way excavation of the diversion tunnel was accurately completed in only 55 days, creating a new record of 178 meters of single-face excavation and 276 meters of double-face excavation in a single month of the tunnel excavation of Upper Tatay Hydropower.

The smooth penetration of the diversion tunnel shows the dedication spirit of Upper Tatay Hydropower, which is especially able to endure hardships and fight, and lays a solid foundation for the realization of the Kep River interception. Upper Tatay Hydropower will make every effort to promote the Project tasks and objectives as scheduled, and effectively contribute to the high-quality development of CHMC.