$104m contract aims to improve UAE power capacity

ABB has been awarded the contract.

Utility chiefs in the UAE have awarded a $104m contract in a bid to increase power supplies to the northern emirates.

ABB on Tuesday announced it had won an order from FEWA (Federal Electricity and Water Authority) to supply substations in an effort to meet a growing demand for electricity.

ABB will supply, deliver, install and commission five new 132 kilovolt (kV) substations, and expand an existing one, the company said in a statement.

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The company will supply gas- and air-insulated switchgear, power transformers and capacitor banks, as well as control and protection equipment in a project expected to be completed in around 15 months.

"These installations will enhance the capacity of the power grid to deliver reliable, efficient and high-quality electricity, and at the same time minimise the network's footprint," said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.

Last September, it was reported that up to 90 percent of Sharjah was without power for hours one evening as businesses and residents suffered one of the worst blackouts yet.

The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs a total of 120,000 people.

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