Power supply in Romania

ABB Ltd
19 March 2004

ABB wins $40 million order to strengthen power supply in Romania



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New substation will ensure reliable electrical power in northeastern region


Zurich, Switzerland, March 19, 2004 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, said today it has won a $40 million order to rehabilitate a
vital link in the Romanian national power grid.


The state-owned power grid company Transelectrica S.A. awarded ABB a contract to
design and build the 400/220/110 kilovolt Gutinas substation, which will replace
an ageing substation and ensure reliable electricity supply in the historic
Moldova province of northeastern Romania.


'ABB's successful track record with Transelectrica has led to another
prestigious contract for strengthening the Romanian national grid,' said Peter
Smits, head of ABB's Power Technologies division. 'Romania's investment in its
transmission network and infrastructure makes it a key market in eastern 
Europe.'


The substation is part of the 400 kilovolt transmission ring in Romania, and
will supply electricity and support development in one of the poorer parts of
the country.


Under the terms of the contract, ABB will design, manufacture, test, erect and
commission the substation. ABB's state-of-the-art substation technology improves
power reliability and reduces maintenance, while the compact design creates a
much smaller substation footprint.


ABB has won four major transmission contracts in Romania in the last three
years, each of them designed to upgrade Romania's power grid. The most recent
was a $37 million contract in 2002 to engineer and build a high-voltage
substation in the south of the country.


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 115,000 people.


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