ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced today it has won, in first half of 2008, a contract worth over $22 million from Eni Raffineria di Gela SpA for the turnkey supply of a new high-voltage substation, integrated automation and electrical power systems and related services for its refinery in Gela, Italy.

The contract is part of Eni’s ongoing investment plan to increase the productivity and reliability of the Sicilian oil refinery by replacing old substations with ABB GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear). ABB’s GIS compact Circuit Breaker will save space and simplify the installation of new feeder lines that are planned for the plant. The project will be completed at the end of July 2009.

"We're proud to contribute to the modernization and development of the Gela refinery," said Peter Leupp, head of ABB’s Power Systems division, “It’s a great advantage for the customer that we can carry out our work to improve efficiency and reliability without interrupting current operations.”

ABB’s integrated automation and electrical system will provide a single architecture, based on System 800xA, for complete supervision and control of the refinery’s electrical distribution and maximum throughput of information.

“This contract highlights ABB’s ability to provide comprehensive automation and power offerings,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “By integrating electrical and automation systems on a single platform, we help our customers realize lower overall lifecycle costs, while achieving their goals of improved productivity and energy efficiency.”

ABB will supply a new three-bus-bar, GIS, 170-kV substation, including control and protection functions, and two 150-kV, three-phase cables linking the substation and the thermal power plant. ABB’s System 800xA will be used in the new substation and in the 22 existing 14-kV distribution substations, complete with fiber optic communication network cables.

ABB will also provide the turnkey services including engineering, supply, erection, commissioning, test and training for electrical, civil and instrumentation works.