Foxboro Contract Positions Invensys for Saudi Power Expansion

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Saudi Arabia's power generation capacity is projected to grow from the current 35,000 megawatts (MW) to 115,000 MW over the next 25 years. This growth market is attracting the attention of international suppliers of power equipment and technology. The prospects for business could gain an even sharper edge shortly as details of plans to update and privatize the country's power sector are set to be announced before the middle of this year. Estimates of annual power additions to the national system through 2020 are projected to average 2,000 MW.

One company looking to do Saudi business in the long-term is Invensys (London), which is establishing an office in the capital Riyadh to provide engineering support to power and industrial control projects. The company has just won a major contract from the Saudi Electric Company for plant performance and monitoring solutions for the PP8 power station in Central province that is being expanded in capacity from its current 1,850 MW to 2,330 MW. The plant is one of two supplying power to Riyadh.

The expansion project requires a distributed control system (DCS) that can control and monitor four new gas turbines, providing 480 MW of power, and control the overall balance of plant and provide a seamless interface with the existing DCS systems. The existing plant is currently controlled by four independent DCS systems, including two from Foxboro.

Invensys Process Systems will install a Foxboro I/A DCS in line with a plant performance monitoring solution and a Foxboro RTU SCD 5200 that will interface with the load dispatch center located 400 kilometers from the main plant. The company will also supply a Triconex system following a request from Saudi Electric for a valve safety shutdown system to be included in the system specifications. The existing plant is currently controlled by four independent DCS systems, including two from Foxboro.

The contract demands an eight-month delivery schedule and the provision of support from plant personnel and the guarantee of no drop in spare part or technology support over time and life cycle support. This is the first time that GE Frame 7E turbines will be monitored and controlled by an Invensys Foxboro I/A DCS.

When approval from the state for the privatization plan has been given Saudi Electric could be split into four separate units and the company will become a holding Company for the units before privatization is finally undertaken. Saudi Electric will probably retain ownership of one of the units and the national transmission system.

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