ABB wins substation order in Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth $48 million from the SEPCO III Electric Power Construction Corporation, a leading Chinese EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) company, to deliver a substation for a new power plant in Saudi Arabia.
The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The gas-insulated switchgear substation will facilitate the transmission of electricity from the 1200 megawatt Rabigh power plant located 150 kilometers north of Jeddah. This is the first IPP (Independent Power Plant) being built in the country, with private sector participation and will be developed on a build, own, operate basis. It will supply power to Saudi Electricity Company and help meet the growing power needs of industrial and residential customers in the region. The project is scheduled for completion by 2011.
ABB will design, supply, install and commission the 380 kilovolt (kV) substation, which includes the gas-insulated switchgear, a range of circuit breakers including the generator circuit breaker and the control, protection and telecommunication equipment.
“ABB’s technology strengths combined with extensive experience in Saudi Arabia and knowledge of the transmission and distribution network will play a key role in executing this project,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division.
Substations are key installations in the power grid that transform voltage levels and facilitate efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. They include equipment that protects and controls electrical power. ABB is the worldÂ’s leading supplier of air- and gas-insulated substations, with more than 10,000 installed worldwide across a range of voltage levels up to 800 kV.
Related News

U.A.E. Becomes First Arab Nation to Open a Nuclear Power Plant
UAE - The United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country to open a nuclear power plant on Saturday, raising concerns about the long-term consequences of introducing more nuclear programs to the Middle East.
Two other countries in the region — Israel and Iran — already have nuclear capabilities. Israel has an unacknowledged nuclear weapons arsenal and Iran has a controversial uranium enrichment program that it insists is solely for peaceful purposes.
The U.A.E., a tiny nation that has become a regional heavyweight and international business center, said it built the plant to decrease its reliance on the oil that has powered…