ABB wins $70m substations order to strengthen Saudi Arabia's power grid

ABB will design, supply, install and commission the 110/13.8 kilovolt (kV) substations that will enhance grid capacity and help meet the growing demand for electricity in the Western and Central regions of the country.

"These substations will increase capacity and strengthen the transmission and distribution grid to address growing electricity demand from residential and commercial consumers," said Mahmoud Shaban, Country Manager, ABB in Saudi Arabia.

Key equipment supplies include the GIS (gas insulated switchgear), transformers, the auxiliary AC/DC system and capacitor banks.

ABB will also supply the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system, the automation, control and protection equipment, and the global IEC 61850 standard compliant communication system. This will enable centralized remote monitoring and control of power assets located at multiple sites. The substations are expected to be commissioned in 2014.

ABB recently announced similar orders worth more than $250m for new substations and reinforcement of existing ones in the eastern and central regions.

ABB is the world's leading supplier of turnkey air-insulated, gas-insulated and hybrid substations with voltage levels up to 1,100 kV. These substations facilitate the efficient and reliable transmission and distribution of electricity with minimum environmental impact, serving utility, industry and commercial customers as well as sectors like railways, urban transportation and renewables.

ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.