MIDDLE EAST on the spot , logging in on laptops or handheld devices . In the early days , an outage had to be checked manually , now it is electronically identified and quickly fixed .

“ The people in the control centre can have a real time view of what ’ s happening . We are utilising lots of modern smart technologies , like drones that fly above the overhead line with a camera and can pinpoint the problem , and infrared cameras to detect any kind of hotspot .

“ On-line diagnostics can also pinpoint the site of faults on 100s of kilometre of overhead lines to be within few hundred meters . That really speeds up attendance of any faults and repairs . Delivery of a reliable supply in 2009 saw the achievement of the first objective , says Al Ebrahim .

“ Now we are in a new phase of optimisation and improving the reliability of the grid , something we cannot compromise on ! Also , we are looking to maximise the economic benefits from the connector by developing more opportunities for power trading . Eventually we are looking forward to creating a GCC power market with all six member states participating .”

In short , if reliability is the number one thing GCC citizens want from their utilities , cost effectiveness is the next . GCCIA can lead the creation of a common energy market to achieve the lowest-cost generation . A bilateral trading system currently gives countries visibility over capacity in other member states and enables them to place bids using yearly ,

Salwa control room

– Ahmed Ali Al-Ebrahim

www . gccia . com . sa 133