RIYADH – Ali Al-Barak, CEO of Saudi Electricity Co., signed Tuesday eight contracts, costing a total of SR3.19 billion, to implement various electricity power projects. These included three transformers, 380 KV power transmission lines and ground cables in various regions of the Kingdom. In a press briefing after signing the contracts, Al-Barak said that 132/380 KV transformers will be set up in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Qasim, in addition to expanding the existing transformer in Al-Qasim. The projects are aimed at further boosting the Kingdom's electricity power generation to meet the growing demand in these regions. The period of implementing the transformer projects ranges between 27 and 29 months. Al-Barak said that four contracts were also signed, and they included setting up of power transmission lines linking the transformer in Riyadh with the Rabigh 2 independent power generation unit in the Western region, transformers in Hail with those in Al-Qasim and Hadco, and transformer in the east Riyadh with the general grid. The SEC chief signed another contract to set up 380 KV ground cables to link two transformers in the city of Riyadh. The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) recently awarded WorleyParsons an Integrated EPCM Services Contract for two large 1650 MW combined cycle gas turbine based power plants in the Kingdom. The first one will be built in Riyadh to be online in 2016, and the second one will be online in 2017 at a location in the Kingdom yet to be announced. These form part of Saudi Arabia's power generation and transmission expansion program to support the further development of heavy industry and additional water projects. – SG
