ABB wins substation order in Saudi Arabia

ABB 380 kV GIS Substation Rabigh IPP enables high-voltage transmission from the 1200 MW Rabigh power plant, featuring gas-insulated switchgear, generator circuit breakers, control, protection, and telecom systems for Saudi Electricity Company under BOO.

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, aligning with SEC’s plan to invest $100 billion in power projects.

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, as Saudi authorities analyze bids for the Riyadh power project nationwide, 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 world’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.

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