ABB Wins Major BC Hydro Retrofit Contract in Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, March 4, 2009 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, announced today that it has been awarded an $18 million contract by BC Hydro at the utility's G.M. Shrum (GMS) power generation station located at Hudson's Hope, British Columbia.
The work is to be carried out in three stages, with the first phase to be completed by August 2009 and the balance of the work by 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The contract calls for ABB to carry out a retrofit of station service equipment at the GMS facility. Being executed by ABB's Service team, with overall project management to be handled by the Hydro and Electrical Balance of Plant center of excellence, the project includes the supply of ABB medium voltage and low-voltage switchgear, dry-type transformers, cables and other equipment. ABB will also be conducting system studies and providing complete engineering, installation and commissioning services.
"ABB is one of our preferred suppliers," said Boyd Mason, project manager at BC Hydro. "ABB made significant efforts to understand both our technical and commercial needs, and clearly demonstrated that it understood our requirements and risks, and we are confident that they will deliver. Another factor supporting our decision to go with ABB was that they exceeded our design requirements and incorporated a number of additional key safety features into the design of their solution supporting BC Hydro's continual commitment to safety - our number one value."
"Among our greatest challenges with this contract," said Greg Farthing, vice president of Sales and Marketing for ABB's Power Products and Power Systems, "was to develop effective ways of upgrading BC Hydro's system without interrupting operations at its plant, as well as to complete the work on schedule, safely and with respect for the environment. We are confident that we will meet all of these demands, and in so doing, be in a position to win similar contracts during the years to come."
As the third largest electric utility in Canada, BC Hydro (www.bchydro.com) serves customers in an area that is home to over 94 percent of British Columbia's population. Through its world-class integrated hydroelectric system the utility assures an efficient and reliable supply of electricity in support of the province's development. Thanks to this outstanding system, British Columbians enjoy some of the lowest electricity rates in North America.
About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people. The company's North American operations, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, employ about 12,000 people in 20 manufacturing and other major facilities.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Rose
ABB Media Relations
919.807.5743 - phone
bill.rose@us.abb.com - email
