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- Much-awaited laboratory poised to be the first in the region and largest in the world to begin construction
Jeddah, KSA: Gulf Electrical Power Laboratories (CESI | GEPL), a state-of-the-art electromechanical testing facility, announced the commencement of their operations as a separate entity that provides localized and technical services from Saudi to the wider GCC region. This will be followed by construction of the much-awaited electrical testing laboratory poised to be the first in the region and largest in area. The announcement was made today at an official ceremony held at the Saudi Arabia Smart Grid in the presence of Dr. Khalid bin Saleh bin Abdullah Al-Sultan, Chairman of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy.
CESI | GEPL, a joint venture between global technical consulting and engineering company CESI and GCC Electrical Testing Laboratory (GCC Lab), was conceived as a call to stricter specifications of power components compliant to the highest international standards. The testing platform will provide engineering and consultancy services to the MENA region from its soon-to-be-built lab in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Services offered include: asset management, upgrading assets and maintenance procedures, training and certifications for engineers and technicians, Research and Development, and Quality Assurance/Control.
Through strategic partnerships made with local and regional stakeholders, CESI |GEPL will be a catalyst in enhancing performance of the power systems already in place and sustain the electrical industry in the region.
“The projects successfully carried out in the Gulf region have made it possible for CESI to gain a profound experience encompassing the entire area. As world leader in power testing and certification for the electricity industry, we are fully committed to providing our experience and strategic approach to establish and localize in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the most important electrical testing facility, fully compliant with the best quality international standards”, said Dr. Matteo Codazzi, CEO CESI.
“We aim to end the prevalence of sub quality materials. Our venture will provide the tools to enable our stakeholders to stop flooding the industry and ensure that all power components that they use are compliant with the highest international standards. The lab will be a key asset to support the policies that will sustain the electrical industry in the region. Localising electromechanical testing is a great milestone for Saudi, setting for Vision 2030,” said Saleh Al-Amri, GCC Lab CEO.
With a vision to change towards renewables and diversification of power mix, Saudi remains to be the biggest energy market in the region. Commenting on the privatization of state-owned utilities and restructure of the power generation and electricity industry, Dr. Floris Hendrikus Schulze, CESI Managing Director in the Middle East and CESI | GEPL COO said: “We see growth opportunities and bigger need of high quality, tested power components. Change in the whole sector means increased competition and cost savings, and, as the world leader in the sector, we have an important role to play to ensure the quality of these components remain.”
Mohammed Muaili, CESI | GEPL General Manager added, “Part of our commitment to CESI | GEPL and Saudi is upscaling jobs in the country while fostering knowledge. We will be filling more than 150 technical positions for the lab, and appointees from the Gulf will be trained at the CESI facility in Milan and Germany. We envision that all services rendered by CESI |GEPL will have the same standard as if they were performed at CESI facilities.”
“As part of the energy transition, a global plan for the entire area is being drafted, one that extends beyond specific, country-by-country targets to promote an integrated strategy that can encompass a multiplicity of interventions. In this respect, Vision 2030 is an important program that has been designed to concretely affect the Saudi Kingdom. If its related intervention programs take off, in 2030 we will be looking at a decidedly different Saudi Arabia: a country that generates a greater share of its energy from solar and wind sources also investing in efficiency technologies and encouraging international collaboration. By cooperating in CESI | GEPL, we will support the policy for the creation of a really more and more effective power sector market in the Country.” he continued.
The agreement between CESI and GCC Lab to set up CESI | GEPL was made in 2017 with a term sheet signing ceremony.
“Today marks the commencement of our technical operations here in Saudi and the GCC. We have set up a taskforce to drive the activities in all our collaborations. We look forward to carrying out advanced research and development for the electricity sector, resulting to international benchmarking studies and breakthrough technologies that can be utilized by anyone in the world,” said Muaili.
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About CESI | GEPL
CESI | Gulf Electrical Power Laboratories (CESI | GEPL) - a joint venture between CESI S.p.A and GCC ETL - establishes state-of-the-art electrical testing facilities in Saudi Arabia. Located in Dammam, CESI | GEPL performs a wide range of testing activities and provides technical services according to the highest international standards. CESI | GEPL provides expertise to the electrical industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and in other target markets: the wider Middle East and North Africa.
In the laboratories, electromechanical components of (ultra) high voltage power grids can be tested with ratings up to 550kV/63kA. Medium and low voltage testing as well as electromagnetic compatibility, environmental and mechanical testing are also part of the testing portfolio.
Apart from the laboratory testing services, CESI | GEPL provides a wide range of related technical services. These include: an emergency assessment service for primary and secondary plant and equipment, extensive expertise for failure investigations and root cause analyses, all required expertise and manpower in order to support clients with asset management framework agreements. Furthermore, CESI | GEPL can support clients in optimizing their asset management strategies, provide quality assurance, design review, substation audits, third-party inspections as well as mobile and on-site testing services.
CESI | GEPL operates as one of CESI’s testing platforms. For all services CESI | GEPL cooperates with the other CESI companies and GCC ETL.
About CESI
CESI is a world-leading technical consulting and engineering company with more than 60 years of experience operating in more than 40 countries around the world providing testing and certification services to the electromechanical industry as well as consulting and engineering services to the energy sector. The company’s key clients include governmental institutions, regulatory authorities, major utilities, Transmission System Operators (TSOs), Distribution System Operators (DSOs), generation companies, system integrators, financial institutions and international electromechanical and electronic manufacturers.
Furthermore, CESI works in close cooperation with international financial institutions such as, among others, the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter- American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Arab Fund.
CESI provides testing and certification services as well as consulting and engineering services.
Major consulting services include: Power Systems studies and Power Market studies, Master Planning and Operational Planning, design and Owner’s Engineering for HVAC/HVDC Interconnections, Real Time Operations supervision and control, Asset Management, Integration of Renewable Energies and Storage Systems, design and Owner’s Engineering of Smart Grids and Smart Metering deployments, Technological and Environmental Audits, Control and Regulation Systems for Power Plants, Engineering services for Testing Laboratories, Environmental Impact Assessments, Civil Engineering Services for hydro and renewable plants and Environmental Monitoring Systems for Electric Power Plants. CESI also develops and manufactures advanced solar cells, III-V triple junction GaAS for space and terrestrial application (CPV). CESI is a fully independent joint-stock company headquartered in Milan and with facilities in Berlin, Mannheim, Dubai, Washington DC and Rio de Janeiro.
About GCC Lab
The GCC ELECTRICAL TESTING LABORATORY is an independent, reliable capable and efficient start-up laboratory to serve the electrical equipment testing requirements including renewables in the GCC & neighboring countries GCC LAB will serve as a corner stone to enable major electrical and renewable manufacturing in the GCC and the surrounding region by offering cost-effective and world-class testing & certification services to ensure the highest levels of equipment safety, reliability and efficiency. To learn more about the GCC Lab, visit gcclab.com.sa. you can learn more about GCC Lab by visiting its website: www.gccelab.com.sa
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