Re Contract

ABB Ltd
15 August 2003


ABB to provide world's largest stainless steel processing lines


US$ 21 million order in China will more than double steel production


Zurich, Switzerland, August 15, 2003 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, said today that it has signed two contracts totalling US$ 21
million with Ningbo Baoxin Stainless Steel Company of China.  ABB's technology
will support the development of the world's largest stainless steel processing
lines, and help Baoxin to more than double production.



'We are delighted that Baoxin has turned to ABB for world-class metals
processing solutions,' said Dinesh Paliwal, head of ABB's Automation
Technologies division. 'We have enjoyed exceptional success in this area over
the past few years, and our strong local expertise should help the Baoxin
project to become yet another milestone for the stainless steel industry in
China.'



ABB will provide equipment and systems to help develop the largest hot and cold
annealing and pickling lines in the world, as well as state-of-the-art rolling
mills at the Ningbo plant, near Shanghai. ABB will supply specialized
technologies for rolling, flatness control and metal conditioning, plus process
control products, drives and motors.



ABB in Germany and China will cooperate on the projects, which are planned for
completion within two years.  The work will support Baoxin's drive to boost its
current annual output of 300,000 tons of finished product to 700,000 tons.  ABB
has already designed, engineered and commissioned a complete annealing and
pickling line for another part of the Ningbo facility, as well as providing
other specialized equipment and technologies.



ABB is the world leader in supplying rolling mill processing lines for the
stainless steel industry.



ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable
utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering
environmental impacts. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100
countries and employs about 133,000 people worldwide




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