Asbestos Hearing

ABB Ltd
09 February 2006


U.S. District Court sets February 28 for confirmation of Combustion Engineering
Plan of Reorganization

Zurich, Switzerland, February 8, 2006 - A District Court judge in the United
States has set the hearing of the revised Plan of Reorganization for Combustion
Engineering, an ABB subsidiary in the U.S., for February 28, 2006.

The judge said he intended to issue an entry and affirmance of the confirmation
order of the Plan of Reorganization on that date. If there are no objections
during the 30-day appeals period following the February 28 hearing, the plan
would then become effective. ABB could then start the process of setting up the
Trust Fund for asbestos claimants.

'This is a very positive step forward. If the judge confirms the plan, and no
appeals are filed during the 30-day period, the order will become final and the
plan effective, to the benefit of all parties involved,' said Fred Kindle, ABB
President and CEO.

No appeals were filed against the Plan of Reorganization before it was confirmed
by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 19, 2005.

In September 2005, claimants to a parallel asbestos-related Plan of
Reorganization for another U.S. subsidiary, ABB Lummus Global Inc., voted 96
percent in favor of the plan. That plan has not yet been filed with the
Bankruptcy Court.

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 103,000 people.

For more information please contact: 

Media Relations:
ABB Corporate Communications, Zurich
Thomas Schmidt. Wolfram Eberhardt
Tel:  [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Investor Relations:
Switzerland: Tel. [phone]
Sweden: Tel. [phone]
USA: Tel. [phone]
[e-mail]



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