ABB
has been awarded $18m (£12.7m) by the Saudi Electricity Company to supply 380kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) equipment for the new Mecca West substation in western
.
According to ABB, the substation will reinforce the utility network and improve power supply to the city of
The Swiss company’s scope of supply includes 15 circuit breakers with control panels, which will be installed, tested and commissioned in a fast-track project scheduled for completion in around 18 months. The GIS will be supplied by ABB’s high-voltage GIS manufacturing unit.
Stefan Ranstrand, global head of the high-voltage products business within ABB's Power Products division, said: ‘This is a highly reliable solution with extremely low space requirements which is ideal for densely populated areas, thereby minimising environmental impact.'
ABB claimed the standardised bay construction and compact design make it easy to access the switching equipment for maintenance purposes.
By optimising the components, their number and weight is reduced, allowing the dimension of the bay and the carrying capacity of the building foundations to be substantially reduced.
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