PRESS RELEASE 20 October 2011
Consortium composed of Elia, RTE International, and Tractebel Engineering signs framework contract with Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) By this contract the consortium is to provide various technical consulting services in the field of grid infrastructure management and system analysis to the transmission business unit of SEC. At the invitation of the Saudi Electricity Company, the Consortium composed of Elia, RTE International and Tractebel Engineering signed a framework contract to provide engineering consulting services to support the SEC Transmission Business Unit. The Saudi Electricity Company is the national electricity utility of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity throughout the Kingdom. This framework contract will enable the Transmission Business Unit of SEC to call upon the consortium’s members for consulting services in various fields, including asset management, asset maintenance, maintenance practices, asset performance management, grid system analysis and training. The strength of the Consortium is the combination of operational experience coming from two European Transmission System Operators – Elia and RTE – and the internationally recognized power system expertise of Tractebel Engineering. ***
Elia Elia is the Belgian transmission system operator, transmitting electricity efficiently, reliably and securely from producers to distribution system operators and major industrial users. Elia is responsible for importing and exporting electricity from and to neighbouring countries. Elia owns the entire Belgian very high voltage grid (150 to 380 kV) and some 94% (ownership and user rights) of the Belgian high-voltage grid (30 to 70 kV). The Elia grid comprises 5,608 km of overhead lines and 2,775 km of underground connections and is a key link between electricity markets in northern and southern Europe. It also links Belgian producers and consumers. Belgium's recent investment in interconnection capacity with its neighbours makes it one of the most open and interconnected grids in Europe. In May 2010 Elia expanded its activities on a broader European level and, following its acquisition of German TSO 50Hertz and in cooperation with Industry Funds Management (IFM), is now one of the top five transmission system operators in Europe. *** RTE International The French company RTE International is a fully-owned subsidiary of RTE, the French Transmission System Operator, who operates more than 100 000 kilometers of power lines. RTE International is dedicated to providing consulting and training services, based on the experience and the skills of RTE, mainly in the fields of operation and maintenance of a power system.
*** Tractebel Engineering (GDF SUEZ) Tractebel Engineering is a leading international company that provides engineering and consultancy services covering the full life-cycle of power, nuclear, gas, industrial and smart sustainable infrastructural investments worldwide of national and international institutions and customers in public or private markets. Tractebel Engineering - a GDF SUEZ Energy Services company - is uniquely positioned to share extensive energy expertise to ensure its customers' engineering ambitions, long-term competitiveness, environmental obligations and concerns. The company directly employs 3,300 multidisciplinary experts and consultants in 20 different countries.
*** PRESS CONTACT Lise Mulpas – Elia – +32 478 65 28 90 – lise.mulpas@elia.be Jean-Philippe Bonnet – RTE International - +33 1 41 02 11 28 – jean-philippe.bonnet@rte-France.com Guy de Walef – Tractebel Engineering - +32 476 299 779 – guy.dewalef@gdfsuez.com