ABB wins US$ 31 million order

ABB Ltd
16 December 2003

ABB wins US$ 31 million order to boost power supply in Algeria

Project to be completed 20 percent faster than industry norm

Zurich, Switzerland, December 16, 2003 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, said today it has won an order worth US$ 31 million to install
two power distribution substations in Algeria.

The contract, signed with Societe Algerienne de l'Electricite et du Gaz
(Sonelgaz), is designed to meet the growing demand for energy in the capital,
Algiers.

'The speed with which ABB will manufacture, deliver and install the equipment
was a key factor in winning this contract,' said Peter Smits, head of ABB's
Power Technologies division. 'The contract will be finalized in only 15 months,
three months faster than the industry norm, thanks partly to our modularized
designs.'

The project involves the design, manufacture, testing, erection and
commissioning of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), transformers and associated
equipment. ABB will supply 220kV and 72kV GIS, power transformers, and control
and protection panels, including substation automation and telecommunications
systems.

A major part of the contract includes laying a 2.5 kilometer-long 220kV cable
connection in the harbor area.

It is the latest in a series of orders from Sonelgaz. The most recent was a US$
15 million contract in July 2003 for a GIS substation in a city close to the
border with Tunisia.

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 120,000 people.



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