Contract

ABB Ltd
19 June 2000



ABB Corporate Communications Zurich        ABB UK, London
John Fox                                   Karen Wilds
Tel: [phone]                        Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]                        Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]                        [e-mail]


ABB wins $80-million order for London indoor substation

Compact design better suited to urban environment, deregulated market

Zurich, Switzerland, June 19, 2000 - ABB, the global technology company,
has won a turnkey order worth US$80 million to build a new indoor high-voltage
(HV) substation in the center of London. The contract was placed by National
Grid (NGC) and is the largest value HV substation order placed by NGC to date.
The project is part of NGC's program to upgrade the power grid for North West
London and The City area.

Using ABB's Latest compact substation technology and design, the customer can
achieve both its environmental and economic goals in the U.K.'s competitive and
deregulated power market. The 400-kilovolt (kV) substation at St John's Wood
will use ABB's compact gas insulated switchgear (GIS) technology.

Under the terms of the contract ABB will supply 18 GIS switchbays and associated
equipment, four 240-MVA transformers, and substation protection and
control systems.  ABB is also responsible for the engineering design and civil
works as well as the complete installation and commissioning. The project is
scheduled for completion in the summer of 2004.

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 165,000
people in more than 100 countries.