US-based Doble Engineering Company said it has been awarded a key contract by the Saudi-based Marafiq Power and Water Utility Company to provide consulting and training services for its transmission and distribution division to meet its rigorous ISO 55000 standards.

A global leader of diagnostic test solutions and consulting and testing, Doble is a subsidiary of Eeco Technologies based in St Louis, Missourie.

As per the contract, the US group will provide consulting and training services to support reliability best practices within its transmission and distribution division.

The deal will also help Doble to maintain a strong presence in the region, working hand-in-hand with the Marafiq team on implementation, supported by a team of its apparatus specialists.

Originally established by the Royal Commission in the 1970s to develop the industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, Marafiq is the first private integrated power and water utility company in the kingdom.

With an annual growth rate target of 7.5 per cent, the power and water industry plays a key role in Saudi Arabia's national development strategy.

Doble's knowledge of electrical equipment life-cycle management made the team an ideal resource for assisting Marafiq in sustainably managing reliability.  

Services provided by Doble will include a comprehensive review of Marafiq's operations and maintenance practices; extensive transmission and distribution equipment technical training; gap analysis against ISO 55000 requirements; reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) coaching and facilitator-assessments and an asset management certification course designed to prepare employees to pass the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Certificate in Asset Management examination.

"By blending our core offerings - knowledge, products and services - Marafiq will benefit from Doble's holistic approach to delivering safe, reliable electric power," remarked David Zabetakis, president at Doble Engineering Company.

"By the end of our engagement, Marafiq will be positioned to implement a cost-effective, sustainable asset management programme that improves the reliability of their assets," he added.  

Doble said it will deliver the programme in collaboration with The Woodhouse Partnership, a global leader in training and implementation of asset management best practices.

The Woodhouse Partnership was instrumental in bringing about the PAS 55 standard, the British Standards Institution's (BSI) publicly available specification for the optimised management of physical assets. PAS 55 was the basis for development of the ISO 55000 standard.

"Marafiq will have the tools to avoid common industry pitfalls with the ability to develop qualified RCM facilitators," said John Woodhouse, managing director of Woodhouse Partnership.

"It will also identify current gaps and develop prioritised activities requiring improvement with tangible evidence to support decisions for optimising asset life-cycle value," he added.-TradeArabia News Service