RIYADH – Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has awarded five contracts worth SR3.03 billion to set up two transformers and three power transmission lines. The company's CEO Ali Al-Barrak signed the agreements at a ceremony held here on Monday. Al-Barrak said the first two contracts are for setting up of electricity transformers in Hail and Juaima in the Eastern Province. The 380/132/13.8 KV Hail transformer will meet the growing need for electricity in the region while the 230/380 KV Juaima transformer would support the electricity generation facilities of Saudi Aramco. Period of implementation of both projects is 28 months. Al-Barrak said three contracts were signed to set up 380 KV double circuit power transmission lines to link with phase 4 and 5 of Rabigh generation plant, Rabigh 2nd Independent Power Plant and Rabigh 3rd plant, and the Saudi Aramco plant facilities. The projects will be implemented within 29 months. SEC has invited companies to build, own and operate Saudi Arabia's first fossil-fuel fired power plant to use solar energy to cut carbon emissions, the state utility said Monday. The 550-megawatt (MW) integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) plant will primarily burn natural gas, but will use solar thermal energy to increase fuel efficiency at the planned facility near Tabuk on the Red Sea coast. SEC, which said the planned Duba plant must also be able to burn Arabian super light crude oil as a back-up for gas, set a Jan. 12 deadline for companies to express interest in bidding for the project. — SG/Reuters
