ABB powers SINOPEC in petrochemical project in Fujian

Xiamen, China, November 14, 2006 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, signed today a frame agreement for around RMB 96 million with SINOPEC Fujian Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. to supply both power and automation products to the company's Fujian Refining and Ethylene Integrated Project.

"This is the latest in series of cooperation projects between ABB and SINOPEC," said Peter Leupp, president of ABB North Asia region, chairman and president of ABB China. "This project confirms SINOPEC's confidence in ABB's cutting-edge products and our capability in executing large petrochemical projects. It also further underlines our long-term commitment to China's petrochemical industry."

Since 2004, ABB has played an active role in this project, being selected as PMC (project management contractor) for the project. In addition, ABB has provided process technology and FEED (front-end engineering design) service for the ethylene unit as well as LLE procurement service in off-shore supply.

This is the first time ABB provides power products to the project. Under the terms of the frame agreement, ABB Transmission and Distribution Automation Equipment (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. (CNXDR) will provide power distribution automation protection solution, while ABB Xiamen Low Voltage Equipment Co., Ltd. (CNILX) will supply low voltage switchgears to the project. ABB products will be delivered by stages till 2008.

SINOPEC is China's largest petrochemical company. ABB has been a long-term cooperation partner of SINOPEC in various projects, including Tianjin and Zhenhai ethylene projects, and SECCO project, which boasts to be Asia's largest petrochemical complex jointly invested by SINOPEC and UK-based BP.

With its strong petrochemical technology, ABB has been instrumental in the development of many other major Chinese petrochemical complexes such as Beijing Yanshan, Yangzi, and Qilu, as well as regional companies like Dushanzi Petrochemical, and Panjin. At the same time, ABB's comprehensive series of relay and switchgears products have been used in many important projects in China. All major players in petrochemical industry are ABB's customers, including BP, Shell, BASF, Dow, DuPont, to name just a few.

The Fujian Refining and Ethylene Integrated Project is jointly invested by SINOPEC, Exxon Mobil Chemical and Saudi Arcmco. Located in Quanzhou of China's Fujian Province, the multi-billion Fujian Integrated Project gets strong support from the central and provincial governments. The world-class petrochemical project will be commissioned and put into operation in 2009. It is bound to improve the competitiveness of China's petrochemical industry.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 107,000 people worldwide. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including manufacturing, R&D, sales and service, with 10,000 employees, 26 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 38 cities.