Job Description
Position Title: Clean Energy Economics Consultant
Position Type: Individual Consultant or Consultancy firm
Report to: Energy Policy Director
Location: Remote with travel to Cambodia as required
Start Date: April, 2025
I. Context and Objectives
EnergyLab works to accelerate the transition to clean energy in Cambodia and Southeast Asia.
We undertake energy analysis, capacity building and stakeholder engagement to help ensure a
rapid, fair and orderly transition to renewable energy.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has set ambitious clean energy targets that will see the
country generate at least 70 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
This transition presents a unique opportunity for Cambodia to:
- Improve affordability of power for industry and businesses, thereby enhancing the
country’s competitiveness in products and services.
- Attract energy-intensive industries that require affordable, reliable, zero carbon energy
- Create new job opportunities through the development of clean energy-related
industries, such as potential solar PV assembly and manufacturing, the EV industry, and
clean energy infrastructure.
- Strengthen the resilience of Cambodia’s energy system by reducing reliance on fossil
fuel imports and mitigating the risks associated with climate change, global conflicts, and
corporate demands for clean energy.
The Royal Government of Cambodia has identified the diversification of its economy and the
need to increase competitiveness as key priorities, particularly as it graduates from the Least
Developed Country Status.
This research will help understand the key role that clean energy and low-carbon industries can
play in strengthening economic growth and industrial competitiveness. It will also recommend
policies that will maximise the value of the clean energy transition for Cambodia and provide
pathways for Development Partners, Government and the Private Sector to collaborate on
maximising the value of the clean energy transition for Cambodia.
II. Scope and Details of Assignment
EnergyLab’s Proposed Approach
This project is broken into three sections, and consultants are invited to apply for separate parts
of the project, or to focus on specific areas within the sections.
Researchers should rely primarily on desk-based research, analysis of existing data, and
interviews. Complex modelling is not anticipated to be required, and EnergyLab can provide
extensive access to data, relevant contacts for interviews and administrative support.
Section 1: Clean Energy and economic impacts
- Model job creation and investment requirements of various renewable energy scenarios,
out to 2050 (including announced scenarios and a high renewable energy scenario).
These estimates can be drawn from international benchmarks, and should create a
narrative from existing data.
- Analyze generation capital costs and fuel costs under various energy deployment
scenarios.
- Model the impact of renewable energy scenarios on energy tariffs, and identify options
to reduce costs through increased clean energy deployment. The renewable energy
scenarios will be provided by EnergyLab.
Section 2: Maximising Economic Growth and Competitiveness with Clean Energy
- Analyse industries that could be attracted by increased clean energy access. This could
include ICT and digital economy, tourism/hospitality, commercial buildings, construction,
food processing and value-added agriculture, manufacturing, start-ups, and resource
recovery.
- Analyse the role of energy intensive processes in Cambodia’s major industry sectors
(including garment, food & beverage, construction, industries, tourism, agro-processing, etc) and estimate possible future growth in energy consumption. Identify options to use
clean energy to decarbonise these applications - such as switching to electricity or using
zero carbon gas alternatives.
- Recommend models and policies that could attract investment that are unlocked by
clean energy, such as co-located renewable energy, green industrial parks and SEZs;
Direct Power Purchase agreements; renewable energy zones and net zero industrial
precincts. Identify financial options (Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Green Bonds &
Climate Funds, etc) to support the decarbonisation projects and for industries to adopt
electric technologies.
- Evaluate opportunities to attract clean energy supply chains, including solar PV
assembly and manufacturing, electric vehicle industry development and related clean
energy services and technologies.
Section 3: Increasing the resilience of the energy system and the economy
- Analyse improvements in economic resilience from increased deployment of clean
energy, including assessment of fossil fuel import risks, review of climate change risks
to the energy system and evaluation of corporate clean energy demands.
- Assess trade competitiveness impacts of clean energy, including
- An analysis of carbon exposure of key export markets
- Review of possible impacts of carbon border adjustment mechanisms, looking at
the likely trajectory of the CBAM and similar mechanisms, model the impacts of
CBAM on Cambodia, assess institutional responses in neighbouring jurisdictions
and provide recommendations for Cambodia to manage an increasingly stringent
economic and trade environment.
- This will involve close engagement with stakeholders already actively working on
CBAM impacts, and can draw on existing data.
- Review assessment of clean energy requirements in trade agreements and
recommendations for maintaining market access.
III. Qualifications & Required Expertise
Consultants are invited to apply for specific sections (or selected points within the section) of
this project – consultants do not need to bid on the entire project. Firms and Individual
consultants are also encouraged to apply, and EnergyLab will actively look to combine skillsets
and form teams where appropriate.
The project requires a team/individuals with the following experience:
- International experts with advanced degrees in economics, energy systems, public policy
or related fields and at least 10 years of experience in clean energy and economic
analysis.
- Demonstrated experience in relevant areas such as clean energy supply chains,
electricity pricing, or industrial development.
- Knowledge of South East Asian economies, with experience in Cambodia being
particularly advantageous.
IV. Timeline and Deliverables
Each section should be completed within 2 months with the following deliverables:
- Inception report outlining detailed methodology
- Draft report for each section
- Final report incorporating stakeholder feedback
- Executive presentation of key findings
- Policy recommendations brief
How to apply
Applicants should send a summary of experience (including examples of similar work), CV,
proposed methodology (including analytical approaches) and indicative cost to
dean@energylab.asia, cc samdybormey@energylab.asia under the subject line: Your company -
Clean Energy Economics Consultant
Applicants will then be invited for an interview, and to further refine their proposal.
The project will be delivered in close collaboration with EnergyLab’s Cambodia team, who will
manage engagement with stakeholders, including the Royal Government of Cambodia, and
provide logistical support, access to data and local context.
It is anticipated that this project will require an estimated 50 working days, and international
applicants are encouraged to apply.
