Power Transmission Project

ABB Ltd
7 November 2000


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      ABB wins US$ 40-million power transmission project in Africa

Power corridor will link new Nigerian capital to the national grid 

Zurich, Switzerland, November 7, 2000 - ABB, the global technology group, said
today it has won a US$ 40-million order to design and build a new high-voltage
power transmission corridor, including the installation of fiber optics, to
Nigeria's new federal capital of Abuja.

The order was placed by Nigeria's Ministry of Power and Steel and the Nigerian
Electricity Authority (NEPA) as part of an ongoing initiative to upgrade the
country's electrical infrastructure to support economic development. The
installation of optical fiber throughout the entire line will allow Abuja and
the rest of the country to build up its telecommunications and data
communications capability - a key enabler for future Internet technologies and
communications.

The project involves the design, manufacture, erection and commissioning of the
144-kilometer, 330-kilovolt link between Shiroro, and Abuja - in the center of
Nigeria - including transmission towers and power lines, and all related
electrical systems and equipment.

ABB said the project includes the transfer of high-voltage transmission
engineering technology from Europe and from its operations in South Africa.
Technology and equipment from ABB in Nigeria and South Africa will make up some
70 percent of the total delivery.

'This is a significant order for ABB in Africa and is the direct result of our
strong local presence and expertise in both Nigeria and South Africa - the two
biggest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa - and our ability to transfer technology
across borders,' said Sune Karlsson, executive vice-president and head of ABB's
power transmission and power distribution business segments.

Work on the project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed
within two years.

The ABB Group (www.abb.com) serves customers in power transmission and
distribution; automation; oil, gas, and petrochemicals; building technologies;
and in financial services. With novel IT applications, tailored software
solutions, growing eBusiness and a fast-expanding knowledge and service base,
ABB is building links to the new economy. The ABB Group employs about 160,000
people in more than 100 countries.