National Grid signs MoUs with Japanese, Korean firms

The National Grid SA and Japanese Mitsubishi Co. executives after signing the agreements.

The National Grid SA, owned by SEC, has signed a number of MoU and agreements with Japanese and Korean companies to offer technical support for maintenance activities, training, and developing and unifying standards. It also has discussed ways of converting its strategic relationship with leading global manufacturers of systems and electricity transmission equipment from the traditional framework into an industrial partnership in order to make the Kingdom as a major center of power industries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Mohammed Al-Raffaa, The National Grid SA vice president for engineering, explained that the visit had witnessed important discussions with four power industries global companies to strengthen strategic ties with them, transfer the advanced technology and experience in power industry to the Kingdom, and train SEC employees on this technology, appointing that the visit discussed the new investment opportunities that the National Grid SA offered to industry electricity networks and transfer plants in the Kingdom.
MoU had been signed with Japanese Mitsubishi Co. to offer technical support for maintenance activities, training, and developing and unifying standards… etc, and Mitsubishi plans to participate in SEC future contracts and tenders of building transfer plants and networks, Al-Raffaa added.
He revealed that the visit included also a searching discussion with Hitachi Co. to achieve a comprehensive maintenance program for transfer plants that it build in the Kingdom, and invite it to attend next SEGRE conference to explain new technology and experience in this field.
In Korea, the Saudi delegation had held searching discussions with Hyundai Co. and signed MoU to raise investment efficiency, improve effectiveness of assets operation and maintenance, transfer of knowledge and develop technical and engineering efficiency. Hyundai Co. expressed interest in localizing advanced technology in electricity industry in the kingdom.
The National Grid SA vice president confirmed that the delegation had also held discussions with the Korean Tehan Han Sing Co. to start localizing cables connectors industry and its accessories in the kingdom, through establishing an advanced factory in the second industrial area in Riyadh to start manufacturing next year.