Re Contract

ABB Ltd
18 October 2004



ABB wins $60 million orders for Three Gorges power plant

500kV gas-insulated switchgear installation will be largest worldwide

Zurich, Switzerland, October 18, 2004 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, said today it has won contracts worth around $60 million to
supply a 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 Smits, head of ABB's Power
Technologies division. 'Our quality, performance, ability to execute, and
overall competitiveness were key factors in winning this award.'

Under the terms of contract, ABB will deliver 12 sets of three-phase 840MVA/
550KV transformers. 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 parts to the station. Delivery will be in the first half of
2006.

ABB has already installed 500kV gas-insulated switchgear in the Three Gorges
left-bank power plant. Combined with the latest 500kV delivery, it will be the
largest GIS installation in the world.

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.

ABB has won orders exceeding $1.3 billion over the past five years 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.

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.




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