Progress Report on the GCC Electricity GridInterconnection in the Middle East

by: Adnan Al-Mohaisen, GM, GCCIALuc Chausse, Project Director, SNC-Lavalin

S. Sud, V.P., SNC-Lavalin

Power Engineering Society, Panel SessionTampa, 24 – 28 June 2007

GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL INTERCONNECTION AUTHORITY

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Progress Report on the GCC Electricity Grid System Progress Report on the GCC Electricity Grid System Interconnection in the Middle EastInterconnection in the Middle East

• Project background• The Interconnection Project• Implementation Strategy• Results of the Evaluation Process• Role of the Owner’s Engineer• Progress of the Implementation• Project schedule• Other Activities of the GCCIA• Conclusions

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Project BackgroundProject Background

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman formed in 1981

• Recognized benefits of interconnection of electricity grids of the countries

• Initial study in mid-eighties• Preliminary project definition study in 1990 confirmed technical,

economic and financial feasibility, recommended formation of GCCInterconnection Authority

• GCCIA established in 1999• Project technical, economic and financial feasibility updated in 2003/04• Countries decided to self-finance project in 2004• Project tendered and awarded in 2005

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GCC INTERCONNECTION PROJECT – PHASE IArabian Gulf States, Electrical Power Systems Interconnection

SubstationHVDC BK-BKControl Center

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Phase I Development PlansPhase I Development Plans

• Kuwait• Saudi Arabia-ERB• Bahrain• Qatar• Year of Interconnection 2008

Phase II Development PlansPhase II Development Plans• UAE – Formation of Emirates National Grid• Oman – Formation of Oman Northern Grid

Phase III Development PlansPhase III Development Plans• UAE• Oman• Year of Interconnection 2010

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Conceptual Diagram of the Interconnection SystemConceptual Diagram of the Interconnection System

BAHRAIN

U.A.E. EMIRATES NATIONAL

GRID AL OUHAH220kV220kV

AL FADHILI 400kV

JASRA 400kVJASRA 400kVGHUNAN

400 kV 600MW

SALWA400kV

SALWA400kV

QATAR

750MW

90km90km

DOHA SOUTH SUPER 400kVDOHA SOUTH SUPER 400kV

288km

SHUWAIHAT400kV400kV

900MW OMAN

OMAN NORTHERNGRIDAL WASSET

220 kV

400MW

52km

114km

97km

KUWAIT AL ZOUR

400kVAL ZOUR

400kV

292km

1200 MW SAUDI ARABIA

SEC-ERBHVDC

BACK-TO-BACK 1200MW

200km

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Phase I of the Interconnection ProjectPhase I of the Interconnection Project

• A double circuit 400 kV, 50 Hz line from Al Zour (Kuwait) to Al Fadhili (Saudi Arabia) and associated substations

• A back-to-back HVDC interconnection to the Saudi Arabia 380 kV, 60 Hz system at Fadhili

• A double circuit 400 kV, 50 Hz line from Fadhili to Ghunan (Saudi Arabia) and associated substations

• A double circuit 400 kV link, from Ghunan, comprising overhead lines and submarine and land cable link to Al Jasra (Bahrain) and associated substations

• A double circuit 400 kV, line from Ghunan to Salwa (Saudi Arabia) and associated substations

• A double circuit 400 kV, line from Salwa to Doha (Qatar) and associated substations

• A Control Centre located at Ghunan

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Phase III of the Interconnection ProjectPhase III of the Interconnection Project

• A double circuit 400 kV, line from Salwa (Saudi Arabia) to Shuwaihat (UAE) and associated substations

• A double circuit 220 kV, line from Al Ouhah (UAE) to Al Wasset (Oman) and associated substations

• A single circuit 220 kV, line from Al Ouhah to Al Wasset and associated substations

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Simplified SingleSimplified Single--Line Diagram of the Line Diagram of the interconnectioninterconnection

G8

LEGEND

Note: All Substations are GIS, 1-1/2 Breaker Scheme

3 x 650 MVA

Umm An Na-S

an

Island

Ras Al-Q

urayya

h

Substati

on

Qatari 132 kVNetwork

Doha SouthSubstation

97 km

Projected Phase III(Shuwaihat UAE)

SalwaSubstation

Qatari 220 kVNetwork (4 circuits)

Doha south(Qatar)1 x 125 MVAR

3 x 400 MVA

400 kV

2 x 150 MVA

220 kV

4 x 125 MVAR

400 kV

AL-FADHILI SUBSTATION(KSA)

288 km

GhunanSubstation

GCCIAControl Centre

114 km

4 x 125 MVARAl Jasra

Substation3 x 325 MVA

42.5 km (Submarine Cable)40 km

400 kV

2 x 125 MVAR +2 x 300 MVAR

Bahraini 220 kVNetwork (2 circuits)

400 kV

SEC-ERB 380 kVNetwork (7 Circuits)

Al-FadhiliSubstation

292 km

Al-ZourSubstation

3 x 600 MW400 kV, 50 Hz

2 x 125 MVAR 2 x 125 MVAR

Back-to-BackConverter Facility

2 x 125 MVAR

400 kV

Al Jasra(Bahrain)

Bahraini66 kVNetwork

2 x 150 MVA

220 kV

SEC-ERB 220 kVNetwork

4 x 750 MVA

380 kV, 60 Hz

Shunt Reactor

Power Transformerwith OLTC

HVDC Converter

Overhead LineUnderground CableSubmarine Cable

AL-ZOUR POWER STATION(KUWAIT)

G1 G2

2500 MW

Kuwaiti 275 kVnetwork (6 Circuits)

275 kV

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Phase I Implementation Strategy

•For implementation purposes the project was broken down into 13 discrete EPC contract packages.

Six contract packages for the GIS substations

One contract for the back-back HVDC station

Four contracts for the transmission lines

One contract for the land & submarine cable

One contract for the control center (including telecommunications, control & protection)

•The contractors will work concurrently but independently from one another.•The strategy enabled wide participation by international contractors in the shared implementation of the project.

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Implementation StrategyImplementation Strategy

GCCIA

Contract Package 1 Contract Package 2 Contract Package ..n

Owner’s Engineer

Contract Administration Contract Supervision& Coordination

Functional Relationships

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Tendering Process

•Invitations to Tender based on FIDIC conditions for Plant and Design Build

• 5 Tenders received for GIS substations

• 3 Tenders received for back-to-back HVDC station

• 19 Tenders received for overhead transmission lines

• 3 Tenders received for submarine and land cable

• 4 Tenders received for control, protection & SCADA and telecommunication system

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Results of Tender Evaluation

•Lowest evaluated tender awarded contract• Six (6) GIS substations awarded to ABB• Back-to-Back HVDC station awarded to AREVA - Cogelex• Two overhead transmission lines awarded to NCC• Two overhead transmission lines awarded to HEC – MEEDCO• Submarine & Land cable awarded to Prysmian/Nexans• Control Centre, Protection & Telecommunications awarded to AREVA -Cogelex•Tenders evaluated for Technical conformance and then Commercial evaluation was performed

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Capital Cost of the Project (Phase I)Capital Cost of the Project (Phase I)

1079Total

28Control, Protection & SCADA and Telecommunication System

343Submarine and Land Cables

206HVDC Back-to-Back Converter

280400 kV Overhead Transmission Lines

222GIS Substations

M$US

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Project Management - Complexity

13 different EPC contract packages with facilities in four countries : Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar

Client, GCCIA, in Al Khobar

Engineer, SNC Lavalin, based in Montreal with resident team in Al Khobar

EPC Contractors design teams located in several countries plus different site offices and sourcing of equipment from around the world

Information flow and design approvals is a major issue between different design and site offices

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Project Management – Owner’s Engineer

•PM is a complex task as it involves the following critical duties:

Ensure the contract limits and interfaces are well specifiedEnsure that the documentation of the contractors are consistent and cross referencedSupervise the individual contract schedules to assure meeting the overall project scheduleFacilitate the coordination between the individual contractors and the GCC member utilitiesEstablish the overall control philosophy for the joint operation of the interconnected networkSupervise the testing and commissioning of the individual substations as well as the interconnected systemsPrepare weekly, monthly and quarterly progress reports

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Progress of Implementation

Design review of the GIS substations is well advanced and issues such as interfacing with existing substations and fitting into available space were addressed

Work is progressing on the detailed design studies for the HVDC converters

Design review is well advanced for the Transmission lines. Because of the environmental pollution it was decided to coat the insulators with silicone. The concrete mix for the foundations had to take into account the high salt content in the soil.

A detailed survey of the submarine and land cable routes has been completed.

Design review is underway for the Control Centre and the protection and telecommunication system

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Add Pictures from sites

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Project ScheduleProject Schedule

Early 2009Project Operation

November 2005Contracts Awarded

September 2005Tenders Evaluated and Recommendation for Award

June 2005Tenders Received

February 2005Issue of Tender Documents

May 2004Approval of Project Financing

2003 / 2004Update Technical and Economic Feasibility

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Other GCCIA Activities

Define the organization of the GCCIA and prepare the Authority for the Operations Phase

Develop the legal framework to govern the Ownership and Operations of the Interconnection

Develop the Interconnection Agreements

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ConclusionsConclusions

• Project under-study since mid-eighties• Agreement and participation required by six GCC countries• Principal Issues that had to be resolved

Demonstration of feasibilityAgreement between countriesCreation of the GCC Interconnection AuthorityAgreement on cost sharing and financing

• Implementation Strategy Adopted• Project divided into work packages to ensure International competitive bidding• Project is now under implementation• Design review and approval process is underway• Site work has been started

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Approximate Route and Layout of theApproximate Route and Layout of theGCC InterconnectionGCC Interconnection