Cambodia’s decision to spend US$1.7 billion on building the 180-kilometre inland Funan Techo Canal, which will span the provinces of Kandal, Takeo, Kampot and Kep and cover a population of 1.6 million people. The project plan to employ up to 10,000 workers, mostly Cambodian, along with Chinese engineers.
Cambodia, for the first time, could import and export goods by ship from its capital Phnom Penh’s port via the canal to a would-be deepwater port in Kep province on the Gulf of Thailand, opening onto the South China Sea.
The canal is meant to strengthen Cambodia’s sovereignty and independence in regional trade and economic growth, while enhancing water management, agriculture, logistics and trade security in the Mekong subregion. Phnom Penh also wants to reduce its dependence on Vietnam’s maritime trade routes and ports through the canal.
The plan includes constructing three dams with sluices and eleven bridges. The canal will be 100 m wide and 5.4 m deep, supporting vessels up to 3,000 DWT. The target completion date is 2028.
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