ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, said the work on a 400 kV substation at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park in Dubai, UAE, was progressing well and on schedule for opening in the fourth quarter of 2016.

About 50 per cent of the construction work has been completed, said senior ABB officials at a meeting with Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

A senior delegation from ABB comprising Robert Echner, the manager of power systems in Europe, Novak Stevanovic, manager of power systems in the Middle East, and Thomas Rechsteiner, the project manager, met the Dewa officials to update them on the progress of the solar park project.

Hussain Lootah, the executive vice-president of Transmission Power at Dewa, and Saeed Al Jallaf, vice-president of Transmission Projects and Permits, also attended the meeting.

The delegation explained to Al Tayer in detail about the latest developments on the main 132/400 kV substation at the solar park which is built at a cost of Dh275 million ($75 million).

On completion, the project will have a conversion capacity of 1515 megavolt amperes (MVA).

The main contractor on the project, ABB is co-operating with a number of companies, including Energo and Comodor, to finish the project on time, said a statement from Dewa.

The delegation also showcased on-site construction works at the substation, which is divided into four sections. The first includes a 400 kV substation and has 11 gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). The second section converts from 400 kV to 132 kV with a conversion capacity of 1,515 MVA.

It also includes three 400/132 kV interconnecting transformers. The third section has 21 GIS and the fourth section houses the control and safety facilities.

Al Tayer said Dewa was working to prepare special infrastructure for the project, to meet Dubai’s development requirements.

"The establishment of the main 132/400 kV power transformer forms part of these efforts, and is indicative of the ambitious strategy and plans, in line with the highest standards of productivity, reliability and efficiency," he stated.

The project includes importing, installing, testing and launching of the main 132/400 kV facility with 4 400 kV cabling, he added.-TradeArabia News Service