The scheme, called the 400-kV interconnection and related facilities project for the island of Abu Dhabi, will be tendered in three packages.

Package 1 will cover the supply and installation of three 400-kV substations, on the eastern ring road, at ADWEA main building, and at the Abu Dhabi power station.

Tender documents are expected to be issued by the end of July for packages 2 and 3. The second package will entail the supply and installation of a 35-kilometre-long, 400-kV overhead transmission line between Mussafah and Umm al-Nar. The last package will cover a total of about 21 kilometres of cabling works.

The facilities are due to be installed by the summer of 2004. The project is estimated to cost AED 250 million-300 million ($68 million-82 million). The consultant is the UK's PB Power.

Bids are also under evaluation at ADWEA for a contract to supply and install seven 33/11-kV substations at various locations in the emirate (MEED 8:2:02).

Eight companies priced the estimated AED 120 million ($33 million) project. They are the European ABB, South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, Transelektro of Hungary, France's Alstom, Emirates Trading Agency and Electro-Mechanical Establishment,both local, and Tata Projects and Larsen & Toubro, both of India.

The substations will be built at Al-Raha beach, Mina Zayed, Mussafah 15, Zayed town 1, Zayed town 2, Ghantoot polo club and new Samha. The consultant for the project is PB Power.