GE Teams with China's XD Electric to Focus on High-Voltage Projects in Middle East

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--By 2020, the urban population of the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region is forecast to pass the 280 million mark out of a regional total of 430 million people, according to the United Nations. This represents an increase of 65% in the urban population.

Sustained electrical infrastructure investments will be required to support water, power, energy and telecommunications systems. Electricity demand and population growth are driving the expansion of the $100 billion transmission and distribution (T&D) industry.

To prevent grid disruptions and build a strong, resilient grid, utilities will need to expand their T&D systems with high-voltage (HV) transformers, circuit breakers, HV breakers, gas-insulated switchgear and other HV equipment, to improve reliability.

It is in this forward T&D scenario that a partnership between General Electric (NYSE:GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut) and XD Electric Group (Xian, China) is targeting energy-intensive industries in the Middle East with HV solutions. GE has grid automation capabilities, and XD Electric has a portfolio of primarily HV equipment.

"With over 80 years of presence in the Middle East region, we're currently focused on grid expansion projects and greenfield network interconnections, as we continue to create a modern power grid that is stable, resilient and energy-efficient," said Jalal Qutob, the regional product leader for HV Solutions for GE Digital Energy.

The electrification of industrial processes in energy-intensive industries, such as mining and metals, also will drive electrical infrastructure investments as companies upgrade their equipment to improve the efficiency of operations.

For related information, see July 23, 2013, article - General Electric Touts Record Order Backlog in Second Quarter 2012, See Solid Growth Abroad.

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