Crompton Greaves (CG), a unit of India-based Avantha Group Company, has been awarded a major contract by Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to supply its ZIV substation automation equipment for the kingdom's ongoing power projects.

The largest power utility company in the Middle East region, SEC serves approximately five million customers in Saudi Arabia.

With this order, CG, the Avantha Group`s entity in the field of power transmission and distribution equipment and services, has become an important supplier of substation automation equipment to SEC.

The company has been providing feeder protections, transformer differential protections, transformer voltage regulators and teleprotection systems to the Saudi firm.

CG also recently selected as SEC´s main supplier of three phase smart meters for its smart grid deployment and has also provided voltage sensors for MV automation.

SEC’s strategy is focused on implementing the government`s policy for the development of the power sector in the Kingdom. As a technical leader in the region SEC´s definition of a smart grid solution will be determinant for development of new strategies in the area.

CG said it had received cumulative orders worth more than $8 million from the Saudi utility since 2014 for automation products and was keen to strengthen its relationship with SEC.

CG´s Automation portfolio ranges from protection and control IEDs and telecommunication systems to smart meters, data concentrators, communication solutions and other distribution automation solutions.

The company has been providing SEC high tech solutions since 2008 and has doubled the business in the last two years.

Besides ZIV meters, CG also offers data concentrator units, distribution automation solutions and substation automation systems.

Commenting on the win, Avantha Group Company CG’s CEO and managing director Laurent Demortier said: "We thank SEC for giving us the opportunity to continue this partnership to build a modern and efficient grid with CG’s full range of smart grid products."

"Our technological strength, backed by a large field experience on the behaviour and performance of different communication technologies has proven to be a key factor for CG in gaining a strategic position in the global smart grid market," he noted.

After acquiring ZIV, the Avantha's power unit has become an important player in the global smart grid market where it foresees strong growth, especially after a successful year with key wins from some of the most relevant and innovative European utilities such as Iberdrola and Gas Natural Fenosa in Spain, EDP in Portugal and ERDF in France, he added.-TradeArabia News Service