| Middle East focus
Multi-terminal HVDC interconnection for Saudi Arabia and Egypt
Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB Power Grids) reports that it is the lead in a consortium that has been awarded a major HVDC contract worth several hundreds of millions of US dollars from the Saudi Electricity Company and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. The project, described as the “first ever large-scale HVDC interconnection in the Middle East and North Africa” will enable the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Arab Republic of Egypt to exchange up to 3000 MW of electricity – much of which is expected to be generated from renewable energy sources in the future. The connection will support the flow of power in multiple directions between three terminals and will be the first interconnection allowing the exchange of electric power between both countries.
Hitachi Energy will supply three HVDC converter stations, located at Medina and Tabuk in KSA, and Badr in Egypt. It will also be providing system studies, design and engineering, transformers, valves, high-voltage equipment, technical advisory, commissioning and service, in collaboration with its two consortium partners: Orascom Construction (Egypt); and Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (KSA). Cable suppliers will include Prysmian, which has won a 221 million euro contract, with a scope that includes design, supply, installation and commissioning of 127.5 km of mass impregnated submarine single-core cable, 43.5 km of 36 kV XLPE submarine single-core cable and 61 km of MINISUB submarine fibre optic cables for telecommunications and distributed temperature sensing.
The HVDC link will give Egypt access to the interconnected power grids of the Arabian Gulf, and KSA access to those of North Africa, whilst strengthening grid resilience and power supply security. Saudi Arabia is working to increase the share of natural gas and renewable energy sources in its electricity generation fuel mix to approximately 50% by 2030, while Egypt intends to increase the supply of electricity generated from renewables to some 42% by 2035. In the longer term, the link has the potential to be part of a more broadly interconnected energy system with Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, allowing the exchange of solar power from the south and east with wind and hydro power from the north.
The 1350 km HVDC interconnection will operate at 500 kV, using overhead power lines and a subsea cable across the Red Sea. The power will be able to flow in multiple directions between the three terminals – for instance, from Tabuk to Badr, but also simultaneously from Tabuk to Medina. With the MACH™ control system, the power flow can be controlled and reversed between the substations without interrupting the continuous power flow, providing maximum flexibility, grid resilience and supply security to both countries, says Hitachi Energy.
The cable route will cross the Gulf of Aqaba, with cable installed at depths of 1000 m, employing Prysmian’s cable laying vessels, which are suited to deep water operations. The mass impregnated submarine cables will be produced in Arco Felice, Italy, while the fibre optic submarine cables will be manufactured in Nordenham, Germany.
$12 billion agreements signed for ASU/gasification/power JV in Jazan, Saudi Arabia
Aramco, Air Products, ACWA Power and Air Products Qudra have announced the signing and finalisation of definitive agreements for the asset acquisition and project financing of the $12 billion Jazan air separation unit (ASU)/ gasification/power joint venture (JV). Aramco, via its subsidiary Saudi Aramco Power Company (SAPCO), has a 20% share in the JV; Air Products 46%; ACWA Power 25%; and Air Products Qudra 9%. Air Products’ total ownership position is 50.6 % due to its owning an additional 4.6% via Air Products Qudra. The JV is purchasing the ASUs, gasification, syngas cleanup, utilities and power assets from Aramco. The JV owns and operates the facility,
which is located in Jazan Economic City, under a 25-year contract for a fixed monthly fee. Aramco will supply feedstock to the JV, and the JV will produce power, steam, hydrogen and other utilities for Aramco.
The JV serves Aramco’s Jazan Refinery, a megaproject to process 400 000 barrels per day of crude oil to produce products such as ultra- light sulphur diesel, and gasoline. With the completion of these definitive agreements, all parties under the joint venture expected asset transfer and funding to occur during October 2021.
Mohammed Al Qahtani, senior vice president of downstream, Aramco said: “We are very pleased to
reach this significant milestone. Aramco originally built the world’s largest integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) complex to employ gasification technology for the first time in the Kingdom and to keep pace with the development of the Kingdom’s Southern Province industrially and economically. This JV is intended to be central to the self-sufficiency of our megaprojects at Jazan. We believe the JV will enhance the overall value of the refinery and integrated gasification combined cycle power plant, and aid in transforming the province by positioning Jazan Economic City for additional foreign investment and private sector involvement.
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