National Grid Saudi Arabia Selects Doble Engineering to Help Grid Infrastructure Reliability

WATERTOWN, Mass. and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In line with national initiatives to advance the capacity and reliability of its electric power grid, National Grid Saudi Arabia has contracted Doble Engineering Company to help reach its continuing goal of developing and maintaining a state-of-the-art electric power grid. The terms and details of this agreement will not be disclosed.

Understanding that transformers are the backbone of its transmission grid, National Grid Saudi Arabia has chosen to leverage Doble's expertise in the condition assessment of these strategic assets. Doble's global experience, specifically in relation to the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of transformers, will serve as a critical component and the foundation of this program.

Doble and National Grid Saudi Arabia will work together to perform an Asset Health Review of nearly 1000 transmission transformers. The project will use both time-based and predictive maintenance philosophies to enhance grid reliability by detecting and managing problems early on.

This partnership also includes the review of testing and maintenance practices, looking for the root cause of historic failures and a comprehensive study of National Grid Saudi Arabia's in-house electrical insulating oil laboratories. 

"National Grid Saudi Arabia is a leader in the advancement of electric power grids in the Middle East," said David Zabetakis, president of Doble. "They are focused on staying ahead of the fast-growing demand for reliable electric power infrastructure, and they want the best, most cutting-edge and cohesive assessment of their critical assets. We're here to help the National Grid Saudi Arabia team make certain that electricity is delivered safely, and reliably." 

Doble will bring an integrated and experienced team to work hand in hand with National Grid Saudi Arabia's chemists and field testing electrical engineers for this specialized consulting contract. This program will support state-of-the-art electrical testing, laboratory testing and diagnostics.

"The sophisticated program we've designed for National Grid Saudi Arabia takes advantage of the full breadth of Doble's offering -- ranging from initial benchmarking and monitoring, all the way through to oil laboratory testing best practices," said Paul Griffin, vice president of consulting and testing services at Doble.

Underscoring this need, the government of Saudi Arabia has announced plans to invest US$35.7 billion in water and electricity projects in 2014 alone. The direct financial commitment of the Saudi Arabian government, and projects like the one Doble and National Grid Saudi Arabia have begun, will enable the continued enhancement of Saudi Arabia's infrastructure, greatly improving reliability.

"Improving the reliability of the electric power grid is our number-one priority. To do this, we needed to partner with an organization that has the deep-knowledge and global experience to help us support increasing demand, and to maintain a clear understanding of asset health at all times," said Mr. Mohammed Al Muaili, Manager, Technical Support Department, Grid Maintenance Business Unit and, head of transmission reliability program of National Grid Saudi Arabia.

Recognizing the importance of deep organizational development in the region, Doble will maintain a strong presence, working hand-in-hand with the National Grid Saudi Arabia team on implementation. The project will be supported by a team of Doble specialists with extensive transformer experience including design and construction, electrical testing, laboratory analysis and diagnostics.

Forward-Looking Statement
Statements regarding the work to be completed under, and the success of the NGRID SA agreement awarded to Doble, are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are only predictions and speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update. The actual results in the future may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties that exist in the Company's operations and business environment including, without limitation, changes in customer demands, technical difficulties, labor issues, and delays.

About Doble Engineering Company
Now in 110 countries, Doble Engineering Company has been helping clients in the electric power industry improve operations and optimize system performance for nearly a century. Doble offers diagnostic instruments, services, and the world's premier library of statistically significant apparatus test results for the benefit of energy generation, transmission, delivery companies and industrial power users worldwide. Doble is part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE), St. Louis. For more information, visit: www.doble.com.

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