ABB wins $60 million order for Three Gorges

Shanghai , China, October 18, 2004 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, said today it has won contracts worth around $60 million to supply a large 500 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) and 12 sets of power transformers for the right-bank power plant of the Three Gorges dam project in China.

"We are pleased to be a long-term partner and key supplier to the Three Gorges hydroelectric power plant project," said Peter Leupp, Chairman and President, ABB in China. "The award decision was based on quality, performance, ability to execute, and overall competitiveness."

ABB’s GIS technology is a robust and space-saving solution specifically designed for such high power ratings. The customized transformers are also 100-percent compatible with the units installed in the left-bank power plant to ensure safe and reliable power supply. ABB is the sole supplier of 700-megawatt-units of generator step-up transformers for the Three Gorges right-bank power plant.

Under the terms of contract, ABB will deliver 12 sets of three-phase 840MVA/550KV transformers from 2006 to 2008. They will be manufactured at ABB’s Chongqing site, the group’s single largest investment in China, which employs about 700 people. The plant has a manufacturing capacity of 18,000 MVA per year.

The contracts to supply the 500 kV GIS have been awarded by the Three Gorges Project Corporation to Xian High Voltage Switchgear Co. Ltd and New Northeast Electric (Shenyang) High Voltage Switchgear Co. Ltd. ABB received subcontracts from both to deliver part of the station. Delivery will take place in the first half of 2006.

ABB has already won orders to supply the Three Gorges project with transformers, gas-insulated switchgear, automation controls systems, and three high-voltage direct current (HVDC) links between the Three Gorges dam and power-hungry regions in eastern China. The dam will generate 18,200 megawatts of power with an average annual output of 84.7 TWh. The hydropower plant will replace the emission of 1.5 million tons of SO2 and 100 million tons of CO2 that would be produced annually if fueled by fossil units.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering their environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 105,000 people. ABB in China (www.abb.com.cn) employs around 7,000 people in 27 companies and sales offices in 30 major cities.