ABB has supplied Egyptian German Electrical Manufacturing Company (EGEMAC), Egypt's largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of medium-voltage equipment with over 4,000 medium-voltage switch disconnectors.
Egypt's economy continues to face challenges, but a growing population and industry sector are driving investments in infrastructure and electrification developments. EGEMAC, already the biggest OEM of medium-voltage equipment, is bullish on its prospects in Egypt with new joint-venture investments in low-voltage equipment and high-voltage gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). Their medium-voltage offering includes compact substations and air-insulated ring main units (RMU) where air- insulated switch-disconnectors are required.
"We are very pleased with the working relationship we have with ABB and their support, which is why we signed an agreement to use the NAL load break switches in our RMUs," said Mohamed Aly Abd El Hady, managing director of EGEMAC. "The NAL is a technically excellent switch and we are fully satisfied with it."
The cooperation was formalized after eight months of common activities to complete the type tests and to obtain acceptance from major Egyptian distribution utilities. The NAL/F will be installed in the 12 kV and 24 kV networks of major utilities in Egypt, including Upper Egypt Electric Distribution, South Delta Electric Distribution, Canal Electric Distribution and North Cairo Electric Distribution.
A switch-disconnector is a mechanical device capable of both switching and disconnecting functions. It is used to carry and break currents and is also used to cut off power in electrical equipment during repairs, maintenance and emergency shutdowns. The NAL air-insulated switch-disconnector, perfectly designed for switching operations in medium-voltage electrical networks and for the protection of distribution transformers in combination with current limiting fuses, is the best product in its category on the global market with over 600,000 installed worldwide. It has been highly rated by Egyptian OEMs due to its superior performance and stable quality in over a decade's presence in the local market.
ABB's Medium Voltage Products business unit provides utility, industrial and commercial customers with safe, reliable and smart technologies for the distribution of electricity. The extensive global offering includes distribution automation products, switching, limiting, measuring and sensing devices, switchgear, modular substation packages and related services.
ABB plays an active role in the Egyptian energy market as a leading supplier of products and solutions that are widely accepted by local electrical utilities. As part of a multi-channel strategy, ABB has been strengthening its cooperation with OEMs by offering high-quality components that become the heart of many medium-voltage installations in distribution networks.
