On the 1st, Hyundai E&C announced that they signed a contract for the Saudi Neom-Yanbu 525kV High Voltage Direct Current transmission system (HVDC) project, worth USD 145 million (approximately KRW 185 billion) ordered by the Central Power Authority of Saudi Arabia (SEC-COA).
In the Saudi Neom-Yanbu 525kV HVDC project, which connects a total of 605 km from the Yanbu region, the power production base of Saudi Arabia's west coast, to Neom New City, Hyundai E&C is implementing the Portion 1 project, which involves constructing 207 km of transmission lines and 450 transmission towers. Hyundai E&C intends to complete it by July 2027.
HVDC is a technology that converts alternating current (AC) power produced in a power plant into high-voltage direct current and transmits it to the destination. Compared to AC power transmission, HVDC has less energy loss due to long-distance transmission and is evaluated to be excellent in terms of stability and efficiency. HVDC is attracting attention as a next-generation power transmission technology because it is advantageous for transmitting new and renewable energy, such as solar and offshore wind power.
Hyundai E&C reaffirmed its world-class technology and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) capabilities by winning this project through a turnkey system that carried out the entire business process.
Hyundai E&C has won 33 transmission line projects for about 50 years since it started constructing the first transmission line in Saudi Arabia in 1976. The power grid built by Hyundai E&C in Saudi Arabia is approximately 20,000 km in total, equivalent to half the length of the earth. In particular, Hyundai E&C led the expansion of Saudi Arabia's power grid by winning the 525kV project following the 500kV HVDC construction, Saudi Arabia's first ultra-high voltage direct current transmission line.
An official from Hyundai E&C said, “Since we first entered the Saudi construction market in 1975, Hyundai E&C has been stably carrying out 16 large-scale projects, including the Amiral project and Neom Learning Tunnel, based on the trust of the Saudi government and clients.” “We will successfully carry out the HVDC project, which is attracting attention as the core of the grid industry, contribute to the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s power grid, and further expand our position in the carbon-neutral power infrastructure field.”
By_BK Min, KDFN kdf@kdfnews.com
The summary of this article in Korean is as follows
■현대건설, 1.5억달러 사우디 초고압직류송전선 건설 수주
현대건설은 지난달 31일 사우디아라비아 중부 전력청(SEC-COA)이 발주한 1억 4500만 달러(한화 약 1850억원) 규모의 ‘사우디 네옴-얀부 525㎸ 초고압직류송전선로 건설 프로젝트’의 계약을 체결했다고 1일 밝혔다.
이 사업은 사우디 서부 해안의 전력 생산거점인 얀부 지역에서 네옴 신도시까지 총 605km 구간에 초고압직류송전선로를 구축하는 프로젝트다. 현대건설은 이 가운데 207km의 송전선로와 450여 개의 송전탑을 신설하는 포션1 사업을 2027년 7월 완공할 예정이다.
초고압직류송전은 발전소에서 생산된 교류(AC)전력을 고압 직류로 변환해 목적지까지 송전하는 기술이다. 교류 송전에 비해 원거리 송전에 따른 에너지 손실이 적고, 주파수에 상관없이 교류 계통 간 호환이 가능해 안정성과 효율성면에서 뛰어나다.
현대건설은 1976년 사우디에서 첫 송전선로 공사에 착수한 이래 약 50여 년간 총 33건의 송전선로 프로젝트를 완수한 바 있다.
현대건설 관계자는 “신재생에너지 그리드 산업의 핵심으로 주목받고 있는 초고압직류송전선로 사업을 성공적으로 수행해 사우디 전력망 확충에 기여하고, 나아가 탄소중립 전력 인프라 분야에서의 입지를 확대할 것”이라고 밝혔다.
사진=현대건설
박주범 기자 kdf@kdfnews.com
