ABB wins Kazakhstan plant contract

ABB has been awarded $17m (£10.6m) for the electrification of a gas-based thermal power plant to be built near the Akshabulak oilfield in southern Kazakhstan.

Owned by Crystal Management, a private investment company, the project supports the Kazakhstan government’s initiative to reduce environmental pollution by using natural gas burn-off to generate cleaner electricity.

The order, booked in the fourth quarter of 2009, will see ABB take responsibility for the engineering and commissioning of the electrical facilities for the power plant.

The scope of the project includes a 110/6kV substation and turnkey electrical Balance of Plant (eBoP) solution.

As part of the contract, ABB will also supply power and distribution transformers, an Extended Automation System 800xA power-plant control system, and micro SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) for real-time monitoring.

The project is expected to be completed by 2011.