(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Minister of Mines and Energy Keo Rottanak said Cambodia hopes to establish its first oil refinery within the next three years to help meet rising domestic fuel demand.

Speaking to reporters during the ASEAN–Cambodia Business Summit 2026 on 4 March 2026, the minister said Cambodia currently lacks both an oil refinery and the capacity to store crude oil for refining.

“The Royal Government is now in discussions with several investment companies to move forward with establishing an oil refinery in Cambodia,” Keo Rottanak said. “If everything proceeds as planned, we hope the refinery will be realized within the next three years.”

He explained that Cambodia has not previously built a refinery because such projects require large economic scale and strong market demand. He also noted that in earlier years, former Prime Minister Hun Sen had also explored plans for a refinery, but Cambodia’s fuel market was still too small to support the investment.
=FRESH NEWS