ABB Wins $33 Million Order To Strengthen Indian Power Grid

ABB Ltd (ABBN.VX) Monday said it won an order worth around $33 million from NTPC Limited, India's largest power company, to build two substations in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

   MAIN FACTS: 

- The substations will facilitate transmission of electricity from new power generation plants being constructed in the region.

- Given its growth ambitions and per capita consumption India is expected to expand its power infrastructure substantially in the coming years.

- The country has an installed power generation capacity of around 200,000 megawatts and and according to estimates of the International Energy Agency, India needs to invest more than $135 billion to add between 600 and 1,200 gigawatt of additional new power generation capacity by 2050 to provide universal access to electricity for its population.

- NTPC is the largest power utility in India and has been playing a major role in meeting the power needs of the country and in contributing to its economic and social development.

- With an installed capacity of 36,514 MW through 15 coal based, 7 gas based and 6 Joint Venture power stations, NTPC contributed 28.6% of electricity in the country, with about 19% of India's installed capacity.

-Zurich Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires, [phone]; [e-mail]