WCA November 2011

Industry news

Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Gulf’s first privately owned submarine cable operator, is believed to be the first operator to offer true 100G connectivity on parts of its undersea cable network. GBI has made the move to 100G to meet growing demand from the carrier community for high-capacity services that bridge Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The networking technology uses dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology, and total system design capacity has increased to close to 10 Terabits per second on certain sections. “100G has been something that has been discussed in the industry for a long time and GBI is proud to be the operator to usher in this new era of undersea cable connectivity,” said Ahmed Mekky, founder and CEO of GBI. “As capacity demands continue to grow aggressively, GBI made the decision to use the latest in technology and ensure that we are prepared to meet the demands of our customers in the long term.” 100G under the sea

The state government of Haryana in India will invest INR40.58bn ($894m) to upgrade its power transmission and distribution network in the region. The government plans to construct 174 new substations and increase the capacity of 98 existing substations over a three year period. Haryana power minister Ajay Singh Yadav said new transmission lines of 3,232km will be laid in the state to connect the new substations to the feeding sources. The minister inaugurated three 132kV substations at Khairkan, Kurangawali and Dudhianwali and broke ground for two new 33kV substations projects in Shergarh and Mallekan. The state-run Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) has begun the construction and operation of the 400kV level substations and is also constructing three 400kV substations in Sirsa, Mahendragarh and Faridabad. India upgrading its power transmission infrastructure

Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam – India Website : www.hvpn.gov.in

Gulf Bridge International – Qatar Email : info@gbiinc.com Website : www.gbiinc.com

Saudi Electricity Company, the state-backed power supplier, has finalised deals worth $307m with Saudi companies to build the next stage of the country’s power infrastructure. The initial announcement was made by Ali S Al Barrak, SEC’s CEO, and reported in local press. The company said the first contract was to construct a transformer station in Qassim; the second is to build two electricity lines, one linking Makkah and Taif and another linking Tabuk with Dhaba. Saudi Arabia has been troubled by rising energy demands and an increasing population in its biggest cities and during the last year the company has awarded billion of riyals of contracts to local and international contractors to build plants and extend existing facilities. SEC has secured government and international loans, including from Bank of Japan-Mitsubishi, to fund the nationwide expansion of its electricity capacity. The company added 508MW to its capacity in May, taking its total annual output to 50,512MW. Saudi Electricity signs contracts worth $307m

Saudi Electricity Company – Saudi Arabia Email : info@se.com.sa Website : www.se.com.sa

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Wire & Cable ASIA – November/December 2011