Power-Station In line with its commitment to partner with respective stakeholders to bring Technology and Infrastructure solutions closer to its customers, General Electric (GE) and XD Electric Group have announced the formation of a new partnership that combines GE’s grid automation capabilities with XD Electric’s comprehensive portfolio of primary high-voltage equipment. In a statement made available to The Nation, the General Manager for GE’s Digital Energy business across Europe Middle East and Africa, Luis Perez said “in Africa, we’re focused on grid expansion projects and green field network interconnections as we continue to create a modern power grid that is stable, resilient and energy efficient.”
He explained that the high voltage capabilities, which XD brings to the table, will help GE’s utility customers to transmit power with minimal losses over long distances and rough terrains. Perez reveals that the partnership will expand GE’s capabilities as a leading provider of Transmission and Distribution solutions and creates a new global competitor to provide utilities and energy-intensive industries with high-voltage solutions. “Through the partnership, GE and XD will offer end-to-end Transmission and Distribution solutions to meet growing demand for electricity in these emerging economies where demographic and urbanization trends are creating a need to build out the current grid infrastructure. The import of this on the Power sector reforms in Nigeria is huge,” he added.
The partnership will also enhance the operations of the soon-to-be privatized distribution companies as power is rapidly evacuated and transported from the recently commissioned NIPP Power stations, as majority of the NIPP Power Stations are already using GE manufactured Generator Step-up Transformers, with provision for GE’s monitoring and diagnostics smart grid solutions. “The problems of transmission and distribution which has been the bane of power supply in Nigeria may soon become a thing of the past, going by the governments’ plan to explore building a 765 KV super grid. The GE and XD Electric partnership means that potentially both companies can leverage on their strengths and partner with relevant stakeholders to participate in this super grid project.
Speaking further, the GE boss said, “The combination of GE’s and XD’s experience in high voltage Solutions will mean the possibility of building a transmission supergrid across long distances, up to 1000 km, with minimal losses. With GE’s intelligent solutions, also, the challenges of “system collapse” and capacity isolation currently being experienced in the country will be dealt with easily. He pointed out that the new partnership has three major components: Firstly, a global partnership to combine GE’s grid automation and service capabilities with XD Electric’s comprehensive portfolio of primary power equipment to offer customers an array of integrated transmission and distribution solutions. Secondly, a joint venture (JV) with XD Electric to offer customers in China GE’s localized grid automation solutions and thirdly, GE’s 15 percent equity stake in XD Electric and a seat on XD’s board of directors.
