ABB has won an order from National Contracting Company (NCC), a leading contracting company in the region, to supply high voltage Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS), which will help address increasing electricity demand and support economic development in Qatar. The order, worth around $40 million, was booked in the fourth quarter of 2015.
ABB will design, supply and commission its state-of-the-art 145-kilovolt (kV) GIS at several substations forming a part of the Phase XII Qatar Power Transmission System Expansion project to develop the country's electricity network. The substations where the equipment will be installed are owned and operated by Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa), the sole transmission and distribution system owner and operator for the electricity and water sector in Qatar.
Qatar, situated on a peninsula in the Arabian Gulf, is building significant infrastructure including rail, port and energy facilities. Such projects, which demand a reliable supply of power, will help prepare the country's economy to accommodate a growing population, expanding at a much faster pace than its Gulf neighbors.
"Our compact and proven GIS solution will enhance capacity and help deliver reliable power supplies to meet the growing electricity needs" said Giandomenico Rivetti, Managing Director of ABB's High Voltage Products business unit, a part of the company's Power Grids division. "We have a strong track-record in the region and are pleased to support Qatar's grid expansion, as part of ABB's Next Level strategic thrust on growing markets."
ABB's GIS is designed to enhance grid reliability with minimized footprint, lifecycle costs and environmental impact. The compact GIS solution enables a footprint reduction of 70 percent occupied by a substation compared to conventional air-insulated switchgear installations.
In a power system, switchgear controls, protects and isolates electrical equipment to boost the reliability of power supply. ABB pioneered high-voltage GIS in the mid-1960s and continues to drive the technology, offering a full range product portfolio with voltage levels from 72.5 kV to 1,200 kV. As a market leader in high-voltage GIS technology, ABB has a global installed base of more than 25,000 bays.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leading global technology company in power and automation that enables utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 135,000 people.
