ABB to power bus project at Saudi university

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, has commissioned three traction substations that will deliver electricity to a new bus network and enable emission-free transportation for students, staff and visitors at the King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh.
The new campus spans 5 sq km and will be served by a trolley bus system comprising 10 stations each with two platforms.
As part of the turnkey project, ABB has constructed three converter substations that transform the AC (alternating current) power from the local utility network to the DC (direct current) power needed to run the trolley buses.
The buses operate on separate bus lines and are fed by a nine-kilometer long catenary line. Priority control at crossroads to other streets helps ensure smooth and efficient traffic and passenger movement.
Each 13.8 kV AC / 750V DC substation installation includes gas-insulated medium-voltage switchgear, dry-type rectifier-transformers, diode rectifiers, DC switchgear and auxiliary distribution systems.
ABB was responsible for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the substations.
ABB also supported the development of the operational and safety systems required for maintaining and servicing the electrical equipment within the new micro-network.
The substations are also equipped with control and protection devices and a remote terminal unit (RTU) that provides the local human-machine-interface (HMI) and also serves as a communication gateway to the electrical network control system.
This enables local and remote control and monitoring of the substation assets.
“ABB has a proven track record of providing innovative solutions to the railway and urban transportation sectors and we are proud to contribute to this project,” said Oleg Aleinikov, head of ABB’s substations business, a part of the company’s power systems division.
“The technologies deployed will help ensure reliable and high-quality power supply to the electric bus system and provide an environmentally friendly transportation solution across the university campus.”