Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea), has awarded ABB a Dh520 million ($141.6 million) grid station project of capacity 1,500 MVA to meet the electricity requirements of Reem Island.

Reem Island, 350 m offshore from Abu Dhabi city, is being developed by Reem Investments, Sorouh and Tamouh.  They have launched an organisation called Bayt Al Khidma to serve as facilitator for Reem Island.
The 400KV grid station project will be connected to the Abu Dhabi grid via underground 400 KV cables and integrated with Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island.
Dr Falah Mustafa, CEO of Bayt Al Khidma, said the project was in good hands as ABB was a reputable company with a proven track record in this field, the company having had a long history of providing high voltage power supply to customers worldwide.
The first phase of the project has commenced and will be delivered within 18 months. The entire project is due for completion in three years.
Reem Island will shortly receive its temporary power supply which is required for construction. Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) has supplied 16 cable feeders with a total cable length of 48,000 m from the E19 Grid Station in Abu Dhabi. The cost of this temporary network exceeds Dh20 million and it has a full capacity of 80 MVA. The work is almost complete and the network is expected to be energised within a couple of weeks. Bayt Al Khidma has prepared the first phase of the temporary network on Reem with a total cable length of 28,000 m and with 20 substations. The cost of the first phase network is about Dh17 million.
“Our government is committed to promoting the development of the country and we are very pleased and grateful to all the government bodies that have been incredibly cooperative,” said Mustafa. “Their support will ensure a smooth and timely development of Reem Island. The finalisation of the grid station by August 2008 is one sign of the fast-paced progress that Reem Island project is undergoing.”
The island, spread across 6.5 million sq m, offers residential and commercial units, shopping centres, medical facilities and landscaped parks.