Djibouti is located in the Horn of Africa and shares its borders with Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. It is considered a regional leader in electrical power supply, with around half of the country's population having access to electricity. Nevertheless the cost of this power, which is mostly produced with imported oil, restricts higher levels of access. By contrast, Ethiopia produces cleaner, and less expensive, hydroelectric power; however this sector could be further developed and access among the population increased.
To bring greater benefits for both, Djibouti and Ethiopia have signed a regional power trading agreement establishing a power interconnection. The goal is to increase access to affordable electricity in both countries, in order to boost economic development and reduce poverty. The project enables Ethiopia to develop its large hydropower potential, while providing Djibouti with a more environmentally friendly and less expensive alternative power source. But to achieve this, the power network has to be strengthened to increase capacity and reliability and keep up with the growing demand for electricity.
The project involves involves the erection and connection of a new National Control Center and a new 63/20kV substation in the country's capital Djibouti City Bouygues Energies & Services, the leading French Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company won the tender
ABB will supply its Plug and Switch System (PASS) high-voltage hybrid switchgear technology, selected mainly for its space saving and rapid installation and commissioning capability. Factory assembled and pre-tested, PASS units are available in numerous configurations, and provide Djibouti's national utility, EDD (Electricité de Djibouti) with a compact, reliable, low-maintenance break and switch technology that strengthens the substation's capacity to handle growing demand for affordable imported Ethiopian electricity.
This is not the first time the two companies have cooperated: Bouygues Energies & Services previously selected ABB PASS technology for installations in Mozambique and Gabon.
"We are happy to recommit to this partnership with ABB," said Foulques Bodeven, project engineer with Bouygues Energies & Services. "Our projects using PASS switchgear have been very successful, and our companies have worked well together in the past, most importantly to the satisfaction of the end user."
With the introduction of the new 420 kV module the PASS product family now covers voltages from 72,5 kV to 420 kV with breaking current capability ranging from 31,5 to 63 kA. In addition to standard modules a special solution called the PASS M0 H offers a complete high voltage switchyard with an 'H' configuration as a single product.
