May 27, 2009 – ABB won orders worth $100 million for substations to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s transmission and distribution network. ABB will design, supply, install and commission three 110-kilovolt substations that will serve the growing power needs of the Mecca region. Based on ABB’s gas-insulated switchgear technology, the substations have a compact footprint and will be located within the city to serve commercial and residential areas under development.The substations are scheduled to be commissioned in 2011 and will be operated by Saudi Electric Company, the national power generation and distribution utility. They will help to develop the power infrastructure around Mecca.
“Besides boosting capacity and increasing grid reliability, these substations will help improve energy efficiency, strengthen power transmission in the region, improve power quality and enable better control of the distribution network,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.As part of turnkey projects, ABB will deliver gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, low-voltage auxiliary systems, network protection and control systems, as well as communication and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) solutions to help monitor and control the network. Substations are key installations in the transmission and distribution grid that transform voltage levels and distribute electricity.
They facilitate efficient transmission and distribution and also include equipment that enables protection and control of electrical power. ABB is the world’s leading supplier of air and gas-insulated substations, with an installed base of over 10,000 substations, across a range of voltage levels up to 800 kV.ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people.
