ABB has won an order worth $20 million from Office National de l'Electricité au Maroc (ONE), Morocco’s national power utility, to supply a 400 kV (kilovolt) substation at Jorf Lasfar. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The indoor gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation will integrate power produced by one of the country’s major generation hubs into a 400-kV power transmission highway being constructed to meet growing demand and to enable grid interconnections.
ONE is extending it’s power plant capacity at Jorf Lasfar. Two new 350-MW units will be added to raise the plant’s power output to a total of 2056 MW. “This substation will support the development of Morroco’s 400-kV power infrastructure and enhance transmission capacity to help meet growing demand for electricity” said Oleg Aleinikov, head of ABB's substations business, a part of the company’s Power Systems division. “It will also strengthen grid reliability and improve power stability.”
ABB is responsible for the design, engineering, supply and commissioning as part of a turnkey solution. The switchyard will also be equipped with IEC 61850 compliant automation, control and protection solutions, which enable the development of intelligent power networks. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2012.