Power corridor will link new Nigerian capital to the national grid

Zurich, Switzerland, November 7, 2000 –ABB, the global technology group, said today it has won a US$ 40-million order to design and build a new high-voltage power transmission corridor, including the installation of fiber optics, to Nigeria’s new federal capital of Abuja.

The order was placed by Nigeria’s Ministry of Power and Steel and the Nigerian Electricity Authority (NEPA) as part of an ongoing initiative to upgrade the country’s electrical infrastructure to support economic development. The installation of optical fiber throughout the entire line will allow Abuja and the rest of the country to build up its telecommunications and data communications capability – a key enabler for future Internet technologies and communications.

The project involves the design, manufacture, erection and commissioning of the 144-kilometer, 330-kilovolt link between Shiroro, and Abuja – in the center of Nigeria – including transmission towers and power lines, and all related electrical systems and equipment.

ABB said the project includes the transfer of high-voltage transmission engineering technology from Europe and from its operations in South Africa. Technology and equipment from ABB in Nigeria and South Africa will make up some 70 percent of the total delivery.

“This is a significant order for ABB in Africa and is the direct result of our strong local presence and expertise in both Nigeria and South Africa – the two biggest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa – and our ability to transfer technology across borders,” said Sune Karlsson, executive vice-president and head of ABB’s power transmission and power distribution business segments.

Work on the project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed within two years.

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 160,000 people in more than 100 countries. (End)