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ABB OEM Vacuum Recloser for Distribution Networks
Model: OEM-15D
4-hour response · Pricing in SAR · Delivery across all KSA regions
OEM-15D — ABB OEM Vacuum Recloser for Distribution Networks
The ABB OEM is a pole-mounted three-phase vacuum recloser for medium-voltage overhead distribution automation, designed to reduce customer outage duration by automatically isolating permanent faults from transient faults and restoring supply to the healthy portions of the feeder without dispatcher intervention. Rated at 15 kV and 27 kV system voltages with continuous current ratings of 400 A and 630 A and interrupting capabilities from 8 kA to 12 kA, the OEM recloser handles the fault levels and load currents encountered in Saudi Arabia's secondary distribution networks fed from 33/11 kV substations. The vacuum interrupter technology eliminates the SF6 gas, oil, or air blast media used in older recloser designs, requiring no periodic refill or maintenance of the interrupting medium — a significant operational advantage for Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) distribution maintenance teams managing thousands of line kilometres across the Kingdom.
The automation intelligence of the OEM recloser resides in its integrated control unit, which supports adaptive protection schemes including instantaneous trip followed by time-delayed reclose cycles (typically 3 reclose attempts), directional overcurrent and earth fault protection, and under/over voltage/frequency protection. Communication via DNP3 and IEC 61850 GOOSE messaging enables the control unit to participate in substation automation architectures and feeder automation schemes, allowing a SCADA-controlled sectionalising strategy where multiple reclosers and line switches coordinate to automatically restore supply to the maximum feeder section after a permanent fault is isolated. This automation reduces SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index) metrics — the key performance indicators against which SEC measures distribution reliability under the ECRA (Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority) regulatory framework.
Saudi Arabia's distribution network modernisation program, driven by SEC's Vision 2030 grid reliability targets and ECRA's distribution reliability benchmarks, has created significant demand for modern reclosers to replace aging electromechanical sectionalising equipment on 11 kV and 33 kV feeders across all five SEC regions. Rural and semi-urban feeders in the Central, Western, and Southern regions experience higher-than-average fault rates due to vegetation encroachment and lightning exposure, making automated reclosing and sectionalising essential for maintaining acceptable reliability levels without prohibitive inspection and repair costs. NEOM's primary distribution network specifies IEC 61850-compatible reclosers for its fault-tolerant loop distribution architecture, and the PIF (Public Investment Fund) infrastructure projects include distribution automation as a key component of their utility infrastructure specifications.
Razz Middle East works with ABB to coordinate OEM recloser supply for SEC distribution projects, private utility infrastructure, and industrial network automation across Saudi Arabia. We provide technical assistance for protection coordination studies, DNP3/IEC 61850 communication configuration, and integration with existing SCADA platforms, with project-specific pricing in SAR and in-kingdom technical support for commissioning and testing.
Technical Specifications
Full specifications for the OEM-15D
- System Voltage
- 15 kV / 27 kV
- Rated Continuous Current
- 400 A / 630 A
- Interrupting Current
- 8–12 kA
- Interrupter Technology
- Vacuum
- Reclosing Cycles
- Up to 4 (configurable)
- Protection
- OC, EF, directional, UV/UF
- Communication
- DNP3 Level 2, IEC 61850 GOOSE
- Local Control
- LCD HMI with keypad
- Mounting
- Pole-mounted (overhead line)
- Operating Temperature
- -30 to +55°C
Key Features & Benefits
- Vacuum interrupter technology eliminates SF6 gas and oil media, requiring no periodic refill or dielectric maintenance — reducing SEC distribution maintenance team workload and avoiding SF6 greenhouse gas handling on thousands of distribution line reclosers.
- Adaptive protection with up to 4 configurable reclose cycles (instantaneous + time-delayed) differentiates transient faults from permanent faults, restoring supply automatically after temporary lightning or vegetation contact faults without dispatcher involvement.
- IEC 61850 GOOSE messaging and DNP3 Level 2 communication enables integration into feeder automation schemes where multiple reclosers coordinate to automatically restore the maximum portion of a faulted feeder within seconds of fault isolation.
- Directional overcurrent and earth fault protection allows correct operation on ring and meshed distribution networks where fault current can flow from either direction, enabling the more efficient ring-main network architectures required by NEOM and smart city projects.
- Under/over voltage and frequency protection functions provide load shedding and islanding detection capability, increasingly required as Saudi Arabia's distribution network accommodates distributed solar generation from commercial and residential installations.
- Integrated battery-backed control unit maintains protection and communication functions for up to 8 hours during supply interruption, ensuring the recloser continues to protect the line during the very distribution outage it is designed to manage.
- Remote firmware upgrade and parameter configuration via DNP3 or IEC 61850 communication reduces the need for physical site visits to change protection settings across geographically dispersed rural distribution feeders.
Industrial Applications in Saudi Arabia
- SEC distribution feeder automation on 11 kV overhead lines across all five SEC regions, where OEM reclosers reduce SAIDI and SAIFI metrics to meet ECRA regulatory reliability benchmarks and Vision 2030 grid modernisation targets.
- Rural feeder sectionalising on high-fault-rate distribution lines in the Central, Western, and Southern regions of Saudi Arabia, where vegetation encroachment and lightning exposure cause frequent transient faults that automated reclosing can clear without extended supply interruption.
- NEOM's primary distribution loop network automation, where IEC 61850 GOOSE-communicating reclosers enable sub-second fault isolation and automatic supply restoration within the loop, maintaining near-continuous supply availability.
- Private industrial estate distribution network protection at MODON and industrial cities, where automated reclosing reduces dependence on manual fault location and restoration by maintenance teams working across large industrial site areas.
- Substation outgoing feeder protection replacing aging electromagnetic relay and oil circuit breaker combinations, where the OEM recloser's vacuum interruption and microprocessor control provides a direct modern replacement in existing pole-mounted positions.
- Renewable energy feeder protection on distribution lines connecting commercial solar farms to the SEC grid, where under/over voltage and frequency functions provide islanding detection required by SEC grid connection standards for distributed generation.
- Desert and remote location distribution protection where the vacuum interrupter's zero maintenance requirement and -30°C to +55°C operating range eliminate the periodic inspection and dielectric testing visits required for oil or SF6 reclosers.
Industrial Supplier in Saudi Arabia
Get a Quote for the ABB OEM Vacuum Recloser for Distribution Networks
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Frequently Asked Questions — OEM-15D
Common questions from buyers in Saudi Arabia and the GCC