The world's leading power and automation provider ABB recently won contracts totalling 85 million yuan (US$10.27 million) from East China's Jiangsu Province.

The group's subsidiary, ABB Huadian High-Voltage Switchgear (Xiamen) Co Ltd, will supply 110 kilovolt gas-insulated switchgears (GIS) apparatus to six substations in Suzhou, Wuxi and Xuzhou in the province.

Company officials said the company's advanced technology and after-sales service have helped the firm to win the deal.

"We stood out among keen competition by redesigning the assembly and testing process, which cuts the delivery cycle time from eight months to four months," said Fulvio Granata, general manager of ABB Huadian High-Voltage Switchgear Co Ltd.

"Our client, Jiangsu Provincial Electric Power Co, defines advanced technology, high reliability and good service as the criteria for its procurement of electrical equipment, and ABB meets the standard," Granata said.

He added that the company will continue its strategy of putting the customer first and having an express delivery service to supply the market with world-class products and services.

Jiangsu Province has seen rapid economic growth over the last 15 years, making it one of the most power-thirsty provinces in China.

The province has stepped up its efforts in power supply to ease power shortages. With a 500 kilovolt grid as its backbone, Jiangsu Province possesses one of the largest grids in China. The 220 kilovolt transmission plants cover all urban and rural areas across the province.

In March, ABB signed an 18.1 million yuan (US$2.19 million) contract with Qinghai Electric Power Company to supply power technology for the Qinghai-Tibet railway.

Due to increasing business volume, ABB launched a bold expansion plan in China recently.

The firm has vowed to invest at least US$100 million in the next three years, to reconstruct existing facilities and build up new plants in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Xiamen.

It wants to see an annual business growth of 20 per cent by 2008.

In addition, the firm aims to create 5,000 jobs, with more than half of them for engineers.

ABB has a full range of business activities in the country, including manufacturing, research and development and sales and services. It has 8,000 employees and 23 joint ventures and wholly owned companies.

(China Daily July 8, 2005)