Guardrails might mitigate against transmission line accidents. The CPTL line runs along regional highways on government-owned rights of way and by necessity the poles are close to the road. During the evaluation mission there was a vehicle accident that required 10 poles to be replaced. Although nobody was hurt in the accident and the coordinated CPTL–EDC emergency response plan was very effective, Siem Reap was without grid power for 4 days. One possible mitigation of such a risk might be guardrails along the road. The point where the accident occurred is a long, slightly curving stretch of highway in a sparsely populated area, with no guardrails. It is acknowledged that this recommendation is a bit more complex to implement than it might appear—determination of which party approves, pays for, and maintains the guardrails (transport ministry [roads] or energy ministry [power lines], line owner, others), and what specifications are required would be needed. In 5 years of CPTL operations this is CPTL’s first accident of this nature, so it would be important to consider the full cost–benefit implications, but it does appear that a conscious decision on the matter might serve the interests of future projects well.
(Cambodia) Power Transmission Lines Co., Ltd., Power Transmission Project