Re Contract

ABB Ltd
22 May 2007


ABB wins record $350 million cable order to connect U.K. and Netherlands


HVDC technology stabilizes power supplies, increases trading capacity


Zurich, Switzerland, May 22, 2007 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, has won its biggest cable order ever for a high-voltage
connection between the power grids of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

The $350 million contract was awarded by National Grid in the U.K and
state-owned TenneT in the Netherlands. The 260-kilometer BritNed link will allow
energy trading between the two countries and increase the reliability of
electricity supplies to both.

'BritNed is another step towards an integrated electricity network for Europe,'
said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division. 'We are proud to
demonstrate once again that we have the technologies needed to modernize the
European grid, stabilizing supplies and increasing capacity.'

Under the terms of the contract, ABB will supply the underwater and underground
cables for the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link. The system will have a
total capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and will be commissioned in 2010.

HVDC technology is used to transport electrical power over long distances with
low losses using underground or submarine cables. Power flow can be exactly
controlled and the technology also prevents disturbances from spreading, making
a significant contribution to the stability of the European grid.

ABB pioneered the technology in the 1950s, when the company built the world's
first commercial HVDC transmission link in Sweden. ABB remains the world leader
in HVDC transmission technology, having supplied more than half of the world's
HVDC projects, providing an installed transmission capacity of more than 45,000
MW.

ABB's HVDC projects include the world's longest underground power link, in
Australia, and the world's longest underwater connection, the NorNed project
between Norway and the Netherlands, which is under construction.


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 109,000 people.

A picture is available at www.abb.com/news




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