First of three substations contracted to ABB to go live on Kuwait's 50th anniversary
Kuwait City, Kuwait, February. 26, 2011 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has completed the construction of the first of three substations which will strengthen the country's power and transmission network. The first of the three substations, located in Kuwait's Sulaibiya district has been inaugurated in commemoration of Kuwait's 50th anniversary of independence and 20th anniversary of liberation following the Gulf War.
The three substations in Sulaibiya, Fintas, and Jabriya, all of which are rated 300/400kV, are linked to the GCC's Interconnection Grid substation in Kuwait, and will transmit an additional 1500 megawatts of power from the Subiya power station presently under construction.
ABB was contracted to design, supply, install, test and commission the substations, which will increase the country's transmission voltage from 300 kV to 400 kV. The higher voltage will help strengthen the grid's reliability and increase its capacity to meet rising demand for electricity
In March 2009 ABB was awarded a contract worth approximately $450 million by the Ministry of Electricity and Water for the three substations. The substation in Sulaibiya had a contractual completion time of 20 months. The other two substations are set to be energized within two and four months respectively. All of the substations will be operational prior to Kuwait's peak season for electricity usage in summer.
"Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water had the foresight to commission these substations to meet the country's increasing need for power," explained Richard Ledgard, ABB Kuwait country manager. "The time within which we were asked these substations was very tight, but we've managed to deliver on time for Sulaibiya and we are on schedule to hand over Fintas and Jabriya substations as per our schedule with the Ministry."
Key components include gas-insulated switchgear, low-voltage auxiliary systems and network protection, control equipment, and the largest power transformers currently energized in the Gulf. Each substation will house four 703 tonne transformers which operate at 750MVA with voltage levels of 400/300/33kV.
"The fact that we've been able to complete the first substation in Sulaibiya on time is testament to ABB's relationship with Kuwait's Ministry of Electricity and Water," added Ledgard. "Their engineers and management have always been on hand to support our staff whenever required."
Substations are key installations in the power grid that facilitate the efficient transmission and distribution of electricity. They include equipment that protects and controls the flow of electrical power.
ABB (www.abb.com) 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 124,000 people.
For help with any technical terms in this release, please go to: www.abb.com/glossary
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For more information please contact:
Alex Malouf
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 56 988 4741
Email: alex.malouf@sa.abb.com
© Press Release 2011
