Beijing, China, February 27, 2012 - Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, recently announced its participation in the Dakar Ring Transmission and Distribution Project contracted by China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). The project is owned by Senegal's national electricity company and aims to comprehensively address the aging equipment and frequent large-scale power outages in Dakar's distribution network, while meeting the growing electricity demand within the region. Schneider Electric's contract for this project includes providing a complete turnkey infrastructure solution for the ring-type distribution system, as well as over 400 pre-assembled substations for use in the power supply and distribution network.
"This project is a strong testament to Schneider Electric’s support of Chinese enterprises in overseas infrastructure development. The fundamental attention to customer needs, proactive adoption of advanced technologies and experiences from mature markets, along with internal resource integration and sharing demonstrated by the Schneider Electric team during the bidding process were key factors that enabled us to stand out among ten strong competitors," said Rayan Lei, Vice President of Schneider Electric China, head of Schneider Industrial Automation and Energy Division. "All equipment for this project will be produced and assembled in China, while fully meeting local demands and technical specifications in Senegal, demonstrating our commitment to 'Made in China, For the World.'"
Dakar's power equipment is outdated, technologically backward, has low grid coverage, and insufficient power output, urgently requiring updates and replacements. At the same time, Senegalese authorities hope that the project minimizes disruption to local residents' electricity usage. Rayan Lei added: "Our Chinese team has extensive international cooperation experience, so we quickly collaborated seamlessly with CMEC and Senegal's end-users in terms of language and technology, efficiently carrying out equipment replacement and constructing the power grid."
In March 2010, under the impetus of both governments, CMEC signed a framework contract with Senegal's national electricity company for the "Dakar Distribution Network Renovation and Expansion Project." The contract includes: renovating and expanding over 100 substations, building a modern distribution network intelligent control center, laying a submarine cable from Dakar City to Gorée Island, and providing 100,000 smart card prepaid electricity meters.