ALFANAR Construction Company has recently won two power projects worth more than SR1.9 billion ($506.67 million) in Saudi Arabia, further consolidating its position in the power generation and transmission sector.

The projects awarded by the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) include the reinforcement of Hail Two Power Plant (Extension Three) and construction of the Haramain High Speed Railway (HHSR) substations. The projects were signed by SEC board chairman Dr Saleh Al Awaji and Sabah Al Mutlaq, vice-chairman of alfanar.

“The reinforcement of Hail Two Power Plant (Extension Three) project is aimed at increasing the power generation capacity to meet future load demand and to support the existing generation capability of the Hail area by adding 280 MW,” says a spokesman for the Riyadh-based company.

This will also enable the future conversion of the plant into a combined cycle facility. The first two units will be online in August 2012, he says.

The company is currently carrying out work on the Hail Two (Extension Two) power plant, which is expected to be completed shortly.

Meanwhile, the second project involving the construction of HHSR substations will supply power to the upcoming double-track high-speed Haramain railway. The project includes the construction of six new 380 kV substations, all of which are expected to be completed and put into service within 24 months.

For more than three decades, alfanar Construction – a member of alfanar group – has been actively participating in constructing the infrastructure of many power generation, transmission and distribution projects across Saudi Arabia, through a highly professional management that ensures quality requirements and fast execution within critical time schedules.

One of the leading and fast-growing companies in the region, alfanar is a reputed EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor experienced in executing turnkey projects in the entire Gulf region. Its business activities include large-scale power generation, transmission, and distribution and other related projects on turnkey basis. The ISO 9001:2000-certified company is capable of undertaking all kinds of project development on an EPC, build-operate-transfer (BOT), build-operate-own (BOO) basis.

Classified as a Grade A contractor, alfanar Construction is executing several key projects for various clients in different parts of the kingdom. It is also installing 380 kV underground cables and 132 kV cables between several substations as part of the Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) plan in Riyadh. Under a SR180.4 million ($48.1 million) contract from the SEC, alfanar Construction is responsible for the design, engineering, procurement, installation, testing and commissioning of 60 km of 380 kV cable and 30 km of 132 kV cable to connect substations.

The company has recently completed the Sharourah Power Plant in the far southern region. It has also worked on substations contracts worth SR363 million ($96.8 million) at Jizan Economic City and King Abdul Aziz Medical City.
Other projects include the construction of a 380/132-kV substation in Hiteen, Riyadh valued at SR503.2 million ($134 million), a 380/110/13.8-kV substation project in Makkah West worth SR444.5 million ($118.5 million), a 380/110/13.8-kV substation in New Kandarah in Jeddah, and a 380-kV substation at Rabigh Two power plant.

From its headquarters in Riyadh, alfanar group operates a fully-integrated global network of manufacturing facilities, design and development centres, and branches in Dubai (UAE), Doha (Qatar), Cairo (Egypt), Damascus (Syria), Suzhou (China), Chennai (India) and many other countries.

The company is also developing the alfanar Industrial City, which is a major part of its industrial expansion plan. Being built on a BOO development basis, this project spreads over 700,000 sq m in Riyadh industrial zone on Al Kharj Road and contains electrical and ceramic industrial facilities, and commercial zones.

The city houses several industrial units for manufacturing medium- and low-voltage products, wires and cables, transformers, wooden reels (for coiling cables) and PVC compound processing (for insulation material).

Being built at a cost of SR2.4 billion ($640 million), it will have infrastructure and utility investment worth SR272.5 million ($72.6 million) and is targeted for completion this year.