RIYADH: The leading power and automation technology group, ABB, has won an order worth SR79 million from South Steel Company (SOLB) to design, supply, and install a 132-kilovolt substation in Jazan Economic City.
The substation will power the South Steel Company, the first steel plant to be situated in southwest of Saudi Arabia’s Jazan Economic City.
The contract, signed with South Steel Company’s majority investor Pan Kingdom Investment, will ensure that SOLB can meet its annual production capacity of one million ton billets and rebar. The project is based in Jazan Economic City, one of Saudi Arabia’s new economic zones that will focus on heavy and secondary industries and will have a projected population of 300,000 once complete. The substation is expected to be completed by 2011.
“Our ability and the state of the art technology were decisive in winning this order for what is set to be the first steel plant in the south of Saudi Arabia,” said Mahmoud Shaban, ABB’s country manager. “We’ve worked to ensure SOLB and Pan-Kingdom Investment that the substation will be up on schedule to power all the company’s facilities.” While initial steel production has been set at one million tons per annum, the company’s total capacity will rise to two million tons based on demand. The substation designed and installed by ABB will be able to provide additional output as and when required by SOLB.
“Our requirements and our long-term production targets meant that we needed to choose the best supplier possible,” said Sulaiman Al-Harbi, chairman of the board of directors of SOLB.
“ABB’s reputation, solutions, and service were above and beyond what we expected and we’re delighted that they will be working with us to create the Kingdom’s most modern steel production facility.”
As part of turnkey projects, ABB will deliver gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers, medium-voltage switchgear, low-voltage auxiliary systems, network protection and control systems solutions to help monitor the substation.
ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. Its group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people.