ABB enters into a new cement market

Karcement JSC, Kazakhstan, places an order for electrical restoration of

Aktau’s cement production line No. 6

Baden, September 22nd, 2006 ˆ ABB, the leading power and automation

technology group, announced today that it has won an order worth more than

ten million US$ from Karcement JSC.

Karcement has commenced work to rehabilitate its production line No. 6 of

the Aktau plant and awarded the electrical restoration project to ABB in

April 2006. The project, ABB‚s first large cement plant project in a CIS

country, will be completed by spring 2007. The plant is then expected to

produce an additional one million tons of cement per year.

ABB‚s scope of supply comprises complete electrification and power

distribution, process control (800xA), gas analysers and process

instrumentation, including kiln shell scanner. Furthermore ABB delivers the

complete infrastructure package including telephone, intercom, lighting,

cables and installation material. Also supervision of erection and

commissioning is part of the supply. ABB was able to guarantee a very short

delivery time, which means that no more than ten months will pass between

signing of the contract and the kiln firing.

Karcement‚s Aktau plant is located 180 km to the south of Astana, the

capital of Kazakhstan. With a total area of about 130 hectares, its most

important raw materials, limestone and clay, are extracted from two quarries

nearby. Kazakhstan is presently experiencing an economic boom, with very

high growth rates and a very active construction sector. Deposits of the

Aktau cement plant are sufficient to meet the Company‚s current production

needs in excess of 100 years.