WCA March 2013

CESI Middle East has signed an agreement with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) for assistance in relation to the implementation of an 800km high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transportation interconnector between Riyadh and Mecca, covering the central and western regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The link will not only increase the power generation capacity of local distribution networks, which frequently experience power disturbances, power failures and outages, but also provide a reliable back-up energy supply in the event of such emergencies. A power carrying capacity of 3,000MW will result in increased energy reserve margins for SEC to fulfil high-energy demands with greater reliability. High-energy demands have increased in the Kingdom due to the establishment of large-scale industrial manufacturing plants. HVDC systems experience less electricity loss over long-distance transmission, and are considered to be more reliable than the more commonly used alternative current systems. CESI Middle East – Dubai Website : www.cesi.it Saudi Arabia’s high power link AfDB to finance electricity highway The African Development Bank has agreed to finance a multinational electricity highway between Ethiopia and Kenya that will transfer power from hydroelectric facilities. The US$115 million loan, granted to the government of Kenya, will fund the construction of around 1,068km of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) 500kV transmission line and associated AC/DC converter stations at substations in Ethiopia and Kenya. The HVDC line will have a power transfer capacity of up to 2,000MW and will be commissioned in November 2017. Gabriel Negatu, AfDB’s East Africa regional director, said: “[The] Energy Super Highway…will facilitate energy trading within the East Africa region. “It is also the first step to enabling affordable energy from the region to be traded through the East Africa Power Pool, as far north as Egypt and as far south as SADC [Southern African Development Community] countries, by connecting with the Southern Africa Power Pool.” AfDB says the demand for electricity in East Africa has risen steadily, relative to supply, leading to occasional severe power shortages. Other projects currently being considered for development in Ethiopia include the 6,800MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The integration of the power systems of the Eastern Africa Power Pool will enable the development of Ethiopia’s large hydropower resources to enable export and address power shortages throughout the region. Power Pools are cooperatives, working to establish a reliable power grid for the region and a common market for electricity. African Development Bank – Tunisia Website : www.afdb.org

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Wire & Cable ASIA – March/April 2013