ABB wins $55m solar power contract in Dubai

ABB has secured $55m contract to construct a substation, which will link the 100MW phase II of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar project in Dubai, UAE.

Scope of the contract, awarded by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), includes design, installation and commissioning of the plant.

The contract will require ABB to supply eight bays of 400kV and 10 bays of 132 kV GIS, two 132/400 kV power transformers rated at 570 megavolt-ampere.

ABB will also supply protection system, automation and control system, as well as surveillance and communication.

The gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation is expected to improve transmission capacity, increase power supplies and strengthen the grid reliability.

Phase II of the solar power plant in Seih Al Dahal, around 50km south of Dubai, is expected to start energy generation in 2017.

Spread over an area of over 40km², the entire Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar project will generate 1GW of energy, when completed in 2030.

It will support the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, adopted by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

ABB Power Systems division head Claudio Facchin said: “The substation will help increase transmission capacity and deliver clean solar power to meet growing demand for electricity in the region.

“We are pleased to help the UAE strengthen its power network and increase the use of renewable energy.”

According to the International Energy Agency, the worldwide capacity of solar photovoltaic systems increased by 34% to 137GW in 2013 and is set to expand to 403GW in 2020.

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