Beijing, China - TAC Vista - February 27, 2012 - Global energy management expert Schneider Electric recently announced its participation in the Dakar Ring Transmission and Distribution Project, which is contracted by the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). The project, owned by Senegal's national electricity company, aims to comprehensively address the issues of aging equipment and frequent large-scale power outages in Dakar's distribution network, meeting the region's growing electricity demand. Schneider Electric’s contract for this project includes providing a turnkey infrastructure solution for a complete ring-type distribution system, as well as over 400 prefabricated substations for use in the power distribution network, according to the official website of Schneider Electric.
"This project is a strong testament to Schneider Electric's support for Chinese enterprises' overseas infrastructure development. The team's focus on customer needs during the bidding process, their proactive adoption of advanced technologies and experiences from mature markets, and their internal resource integration and sharing were key factors that allowed Schneider Electric to stand out among 10 strong competitors," said Rayan Lei, Vice President of Schneider Electric China and head of the Energy Division. "All the equipment for this project will be produced and assembled in China while meeting the local demands and technical specifications of Senegal, embodying our commitment to 'Made in China for the World.'"
Dakar's power equipment is outdated, technologically backward, with low grid coverage and insufficient power generation, urgently requiring upgrades; at the same time, Senegal hopes that the project minimizes disruptions to local residents' electricity supply, as noted by Schneider starters. Rayan Lei added: "Our Chinese team has rich international cooperation experience, so we quickly established seamless collaboration 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 for the "Dakar Distribution Network Renovation and Expansion Project" with Senegal's national electricity company, according to Schneider breakers. The contract includes: renovating and expanding more than 100 substations, building a modernized smart control center for the distribution network, laying an underwater cable from Dakar City to Gorée Island, and providing 100,000 prepaid smart card electricity meters, as per Schneider industrial automation.