The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) announced that it is working to prevent future power outages, Al-Watan reported. On July 25 power went out in four provinces across the Kingdom, including Riyadh and Dammam. Saleh Mohammed Al-Onaizan, acting CEO of SEC said, the company was currently on an expansion course with ambitious plans to ensure full electrification of all Saudi cities and villages by 2010. The industrialists and members of the Industrial Committee at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed with SEC representatives the causes of the sudden power cut-off to some factories in the Eastern Province last month. The meeting included a review of the sudden power outages affecting factories and the solutions proposed by the SEC. Last year SEC spent SR13.5 billion on expansion projects according to the company's statement. It has also signed an agreement for a multi-billion-riyal contract to build a new 1,200 megawatt steam power plant. Following the outages last week, the Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) reported production difficulties at some of its polyethylene and polypropylene plants in Jubail, Reuters reported yesterday. SABIC said in a statement on its website it would resume normal production within “a few days.” The extent of reduced production was not available. __
