SNC-Lavalin wins four-year contract for $1.8bn Saudi-Egypt power project
Once complete, the $1.8bn Saudi-Egypt Interconnection project will allow the two countries to exchange up to 3GW of electricity at peak times
SNC-Lavalin has been awarded a four-year project management office (PMO) and engineering design review services contract by The Saudi Electric Company and The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Corporation. The deal will see the firm support the Saudi-Egypt power grids project, which is billed as the Middle East and North Africa region’s first large-scale high voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection.
The firm’s PMO mandate includes supervising the design and execution of the project, and involves supervision of contractors throughout the engineering, construction and commissioning phases. The project will be led by the company’s regional expertise in the Middle East and supported by its global HVDC Center of Excellence in Canada.
“For more than half a century, SNC-Lavalin has established a proven track record in the clean power market by delivering some of the most complex HVDC interconnection projects around the world. Our unrivalled engineering capabilities and understanding of the energy market are coupled with the highest quality standards and latest technologies to ensure we deliver sustainable power solutions to our global clients and the communities they serve,” said Ian L. Edwards, President and CEO, SNC-Lavalin.
The interconnection will extend 1,300km from Cairo, Egypt, to Madinah, Saudi Arabia, with an intermediate point located in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Given the long distance involved and the fact that the two countries use different electric frequencies, the interconnection will use high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology to allow for total control of the power flow in either direction, the firm said.
Once complete, the $1.8bn Saudi-Egypt Interconnection project will allow the two countries to exchange up to 3GW of electricity at peak times, powering upward of 20mn people.
Karl Matalani, Vice-President, Power, Middle East at SNC-Lavalin added, “With over 50 years’ presence in the Middle East, we have established a track record of delivering flagship power projects across the region. Our first-in-class global HVDC engineering team, deployed in several regions around the world, is honored to oversee the implementation of such an impressive length of network across a challenging geographic landscape that includes both land and sea.”
