ABB wins $120m order to power Saudi university

ABB will deliver three gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substations.

The use of GIS technology will greatly reduce the size of the substations, enabling Saudi Arabia's national power transmission and distribution utility to locate them at the site of the new university in the country's capital, Riyadh.

"The substations will ensure that this prestigious educational establishment has access to a reliable, efficient and high-quality supply of electricity," said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.

"Their compact design and high reliability are ideally suited for such applications."

ABB will design, supply, install and commission one 380/132 kilovolt (kV) substation and two 132/13.8 kV substations. The project is scheduled for completion by 2011, and includes delivery of products such as gas-insulated switchgear, transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and auxiliary systems.

The university is a $5bn project that aims to enroll as many as 40,000 students. The campus will have several energy-saving and environmentally friendly features, such as 40,000 square meters of solar paneling that is expected to provide about 18% of the power required for air-conditioning.

Substations are key installations in the power grid that transform voltage levels and distribute electricity.

They facilitate efficient transmission and distribution, and 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 installations worldwide 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.