Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, recently visited the facilities of the Saudi Electricity Co. and the Disaster Management Center to follow up on the preparations of the holy sites.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah was also in attendance.
SEC announced on June 22 the completion of the electricity services for the Hajj this year in Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites, and the implementation of several new projects for an overall cost exceeding SR1 billion.
It also includes the setting up of electric power transmission and distribution plants, power grid interconnections, and automation of electric distribution networks in the holy sites.
Prince Abdulaziz was also briefed on the automation projects and the use of cutting-edge technology in the electrical grid, carried out by SEC in Hajj this year for the first time.
SEC pointed out that its preparedness for this year's Hajj season has gone through several stages:
The first stage was carried out by the end of last year's Hajj after the examination of the key performance indicators.
During the second phase, SEC implemented, finalized projects within a short span of time and enhanced the optimal and streamlined delivery of high quality service.
The third phase revolved around the implementation of two comprehensive real time simulating electrical loads during Hajj to check the readiness and reliability of networks.
The capacity of electricity plants at the holy sites, Makkah ,and Al-Madinah now stands at 21,646 MW, and it is projected, according to the SEC studies and technical reports, that the peak load this year will exceed 4,737 MW, with an increase of around 28 percent compared to last year’s Hajj.
The electrical network has been strengthened in Makkah to meet the expected load during the Hajj season, and the electrical network in the holy sites was reinforced to a capacity of 100 MVA.
SEC stated further that the operational plan focused on strengthening the corporate presence at the holy sites, Makkah, and Madinah by increasing and distributing the electric supply centers from 43 up 93 centers operating around the clock, at the holy sites, the central region, and the pilgrims’ accommodation areas, with the assistance of more than 2,000 engineers, technicians, and specialists.
