Business & Finance Club- Riyadh : Siemens said it has completed a euros 155 million ($204.3 million) project with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to provide a harmonized grid solutions for a major substation in the Kingdom.

A global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering that operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors, Siemens has been working with SEC for over 40 years on numerous electrical projects.

The 380 KV substation, located in the Al Qassim province, adds 1000 MVA (Mega Volt Ampere) of firm power transmission capacity to the Saudi Arabian grid, helping to keep pace with the rapidly growing demand of power.

The substation facilitates a link between the country’s regional electricity networks, transmitting ultimately 1000 MVA of power from the central region to the western region via Al Madinah or vice versa.

Analysts estimate that electricity demand will continue to grow by 10 per cent each year. SEC is expanding its electricity supply network on an ongoing basis in order to upgrade the level of electric services delivered to various segments in Saudi Arabia.

As the turn-key partner, Siemens provided technical solutions at all stages of the construction, installation, testing and commissioning process of the substation.

This included GIS (gas insulated switching), transformers, metering and control systems, protection systems, civil and electro mechanical work for seamless, reliable and efficient energy flow in Saudi-Arabia.

Saleh M. Al Onaizan, executive vice president, SEC said Siemens had an excellent track record in the region and the SEC had built up a strong and long lasting relationship with them.

'Siemens brought the technical knowhow and innovative solutions, which greatly assisted in the development of the substation’s infrastructure and we are sure this project will greatly benefit the residents of the Kingdom,' he noted.

Lutz Kahlbau, Siemens CEO, said: 'We have had a long-term working relationship with the energy sector since 1954 and we are delighted to offer our products and services to this project, which will fundamentally increase the power supply to the region improving the benefit to the end user.'

'Saudi Arabia is one of our key markets in the Middle East and we are ambitious to see growth here, as well as across the region,' Kahlbau stated.

'Strengthening our relationships with companies such as SEC is vital. We combine a great technological expertise with unique customer intimacy, so that the latest technologies we bring on board are as relevant to their needs as to the end users demand,' he added.