Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has awarded ABB substation contracts worth US$70 million to enhance the electrical grid capacity in KSAs central region
ABB will design, supply, install and commission the new 132/13.8kV Al-Raas substation and?extend an existing 380kV substation at the Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNAU) in Riyadh.?
"The substations will boost power capacity to address growing electricity demand in the central region and they will also help to improve grid reliability and power quality while ensuring energy efficiency," said ABB Saudi country manager Mahmoud Shaban.
The?Swedish-Swiss company, through Saudi's Ewaan Global Residential Company, will also work on a turnkey construction of the 110/13.8kV Al-Fareeda substation to provide power to a new north Jeddah residential development.
According to ABB, the substation will be equipped with a capacitor bank to reduce electricity losses and enhance the stability and quality of power supply.
All the subtations are expected to be completed by 2014 and will possess IEC 61850-compliant communication systems that will enable centralised remote monitoring and control of power assets located at multiple sites.
ABB said it would be supplying the gas-insulated switchgear, transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, auxiliary systems and cables for the substations. The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system as well as the automation, control and protection equipment will also be delivered by the company.
