ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, said it has won orders worth over $60 million for substations that will boost transmission capacity and supply electricity to the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2013, said a statement from ABB.

With a total development area of 173 sq km, KAEC is located along the coast of the Red Sea, around 100 km north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of the country, and approximately an hour from Makkah.

The initiative is part of an ambitious program to make Saudi one of the world’s top ten investment destinations by bringing in foreign capital to help diversify its predominantly oil-based economy, said a senior official.

KAEC is also expected to create up to one million jobs for the youthful population of the country.

ABB has been entrusted by the Saudi Electricity Company to design, supply, install and commissionan expansion of the 380kV Haramain high-speed railway (HHR3) substation, which supplies electricity to KAEC at 110kV.

Commenting on the win, CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said: "The need to build up reliable and efficient power infrastructure in the Middle East is an important growth driver for ABB. We have a proven track record in Saudi Arabia and are pleased to continue supporting the development of the country’s power network."

ABB’s compact gas-insulated 380 kV switchgear (GIS) technology will ensure reliability and minimize the substation footprint, he noted.

The other key product supplies include control and protection equipment, auxiliary systems and substation automation equipment compliant with the international IEC61850 standard to enable monitoring and control of the substations from a remote control center.

“These substations will strengthen the transmission grid and boost power supplies to support economic growth,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service