Saudi Riyadh-Kudmi 500kV Ultra High Voltage Direct Current Transmission Line Contract
On the 11th, Contract Signed with Saudi Electricity Company in Riyadh Local Office
Hyundai Engineering & Construction's ultra-high voltage direct current transmission line construction section in Saudi Arabia (Source: Hyundai Engineering & Construction)
Hyundai Engineering & Construction has secured a mega project worth 1 trillion KRW in Saudi Arabia. On the 11th (local time), Hyundai Engineering & Construction signed a contract worth 725 million USD (approximately 1 trillion KRW) with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, for the "Saudi Riyadh-Kudmi 500kV Ultra High Voltage Direct Current (UHVDC) Transmission Line Construction Project." This is the largest project since Hyundai's entry into the Saudi power grid business.
The "Riyadh-Kudmi Transmission Line Construction Project" involves building a total of 1,089 km of ultra high voltage direct current transmission lines connecting a power plant in Riyadh to the Kudmi area on the southern coast. Hyundai Engineering & Construction is responsible for Section 1, a 369 km stretch adjacent to the Kudmi area, with completion scheduled for January 2027. Hyundai Engineering & Construction won the project through a turnkey contract, handling the entire process including design, procurement, and construction.
Ultra high voltage direct current transmission is a technology that converts alternating current (AC) power generated at power plants into high voltage direct current (DC) for transmission to the destination. Compared to AC transmission, it reduces energy loss over long distances and offers superior stability and efficiency. Hyundai Engineering & Construction has been leading the UHVDC transmission era in Saudi Arabia, where power grid expansion is urgent, starting with the Madinah-Tabuk-Aqaba 500kV transmission line project in 2021 and securing the Neom-Yanbu 525kV transmission line project last year. The line to be constructed this time is the first UHVDC double-circuit transmission line structure introduced in Saudi Arabia, with a power capacity of 4,000 megawatts (MW).
Hyundai Engineering & Construction's recent contract is drawing attention as a follow-up to the partnership established at the "Energy Localization Forum" hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Energy last month. At this event, where strategic partnerships were formed with companies related to power, renewable energy, oil & gas, and supply chain & services, Hyundai Engineering & Construction demonstrated its advanced technology in building ultra high voltage transmission networks for power grid expansion.
A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official stated, "We will successfully carry out the ultra high voltage direct current transmission line project, which is recognized as a core of the renewable energy grid industry, and write a new chapter in transmission history in Saudi Arabia." Since entering the Saudi construction market in 1975, Hyundai Engineering & Construction has completed a total of 35 transmission line projects. Including ongoing projects, the total length of power grids constructed by Hyundai Engineering & Construction reaches approximately 20,000 km.
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