SNC-Lavalin has been awarded a four-year advisory and engineering services contract by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) for its $3.6bn high-voltage subsea transmission project.

The project will involve the development of the first high-voltage, direct current (HVDC-VSC) subsea transmission system in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Adnoc’s offshore assets will be powered by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company’s (Taqa’s) transmission and distribution companies.

SNC-Lavalin’s scope of work includes the design review of the converter stations, the submarine cables, integration with the onshore and offshore grid, as well as reviewing the implementation plans for HSE, Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) of contractors. 

SNC-Lavalin will also provide supervision throughout the construction and commissioning phases of the HVDC-VSC project.

The appointed Kepco consortium, which also includes Japan’s Kyushu Electric Power Company and France’s EDF, will form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in partnership with Adnoc and Taqa to develop and operate the transmission scheme.

The scheme will be developed under a build-own-operate and transfer (BOOT) model, with ownership of the project to be transferred back to Adnoc at the end of the concession agreement.

The international developer consortium will hold a 40 per cent stake in the project, with Adnoc and Taqa each holding 30 per cent stakes.

More than 50 per cent of the $3.6bn project value will flow into the UAE’s economy under Adnoc’s in-country value (ICV) programme.