ABB, the power and technology automation group, will build a substation to serve a new complex of Saudi Arabia’s Najran University. The value of the order, Alstom’s second from the university, was given as $40 million. ABB will be responsible for designing, supplying, installing and commissioning the 380 kV substation which will be able to distribute power at 132 kV and 13.8 kV. Key products to be supplied include gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and cables. 'This substation will provide the power required for Najran University’s long-term development,' said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division. 'ABB’s compact substation technology will be deployed to ensure that the facility has the smallest possible footprint.' The university is located in Najran, a city in the south of Saudi Arabia, and will have two campuses with a total of 45,000 students. It was founded in 2006 and is the country’s largest university covering an area of 18 million sq m. Najran University will also house a medical city, a research centre, sports and entertainment arenas and housing accommodation for faculty, staff and students. The ABB Group operates in around 100 countries and employs about 124,000 people.
