Yokogawa Electric Corporation will supply control systems for two units of Saudi Arabia’s Marafiq thermal power plant, the Japanese company announced.

Placing the order with Yokogawa was Hanwha Engineering & Construction Corporation. Yokogawa will supply the control systems for the boilers, turbines and auxiliary facilities of units 5 and 6 (2 x 275 MW) at the plant which will be operated by Marafiq Power and Water Utility Company.

Marafiq, established in 2003 as the first private utility company in the kingdom, supplies electric power and water to the country’s industrial cities. Units 5 and 6 of the Marafiq thermal power plant will be powered by fuel oil and are being constructed in Yanbu industrial city. The plant is scheduled to start operations in 2012.

Yokogawa will be supplying Centum VP series integrated production control systems, ProSafe-RS safety instrumented systems, PRM integrated device management software packages for remote monitoring and diagnosis of plant equipment, and Exaquantum plant information management systems. Yokogawa Electric Korea and Yokogawa Middle East will work together on the provision of delivery, engineering, installation and commissioning services.

In addition, Yokogawa will supply a plant operation training simulator that will be used to train operators under complex simulated plant operating conditions.

Company’s strengths
Yokogawa said it was able to win the order by demonstrating the following three strengths: Yokogawa Electric Korea’s capability to propose system solutions; the reliability of Yokogawa’s products and the high reputation of its Middle East engineering workforce; the close project support made possible by global cooperation between Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Yokogawa Electric Korea and Yokogawa Middle East.

Demand for electricity has been increasing in the Middle East as industries have flourished and the population has increased. The electric power market is expected to continue to expand for a long time in this region. Encouraged by the success in winning this order, Yokogawa aims to expand its control business targeting power plants in the Middle East.

Yokogawa’s global network of 25 manufacturing facilities and 80 companies spans 54 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the $3 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,200 patents and registrations, including the world’s first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement.

Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa.