ABB (www.abb.com) has won orders from Ma'aden Aluminium Company (MAC, www.maaden.com.sa) to execute a fast-track transmission substation project in the Northeast of the country.
ABB will design, engineer and supply a new 380 kilovolt (kV) outdoor gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation at the Ras Al Khair power plant that will export 800 megawatt (MW) of power from the plant to the national transmission grid and feed a new aluminium smelter.
ABB’s scope of supply includes high-voltage outdoor gas-insulated switchgear, communication and auxiliary systems and IEC 61850 compliant substation automation, control and protection. These containerized systems will be factory assembled and pre-commissioned to speed up on site installation.
The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden), in a joint venture with Alcoa, is building an integrated aluminium mining, refining, smelting and rolling mill facility at Ras Al Khair. The multibillion dollar complex will produce 4 million tons per annum (mtpa) bauxite, 1.8 mtpa alumina, 740 kilo tons per annum (ktpa) of aluminium metal and 380 ktpa rolled products, The smelter and rolling mill will commence production in 2013, while the mine and refinery will commence in 2014.