Swedish and Swiss NGOs protest against new Three Gorges contract for ABB

ABB has won a contract worth $ 340 million to supply two converter stations for a 3,000 megawatt high-voltage direct current power link to transmit electricity from the Three Gorges project to the Shanghai area. In August 1997, ABB had already won an order of $ 250 million to supply eight generators to the same project. The financing of the latest contract will be organized by a banking consortium including ANZ, Associete Generale, and Indo-Suez. The Swedish export risk guarantee EKN today confirmed to have approved an official guarantee for the contract.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Berne Declaration today protested against ABB's increased involvement in the Three Gorges project. "At a time when the social, environmental and security problems of the megaproject become ever more evident and when opposition is mounting even within China, ABB's support for the Three Gorges project is in sharp contrast to the company's stated commitment to sustainable development", says Peter Bosshard, spokesperson for the Berne Declaration.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Berne Declaration are opposing the support of the latest Three Gorges contract by the Swedish or by any other export risk gurantees. "We appeal to the Swedish government not to lend further support to the Three Gorges project, which contradicts the principles of Swedish environmental and human rights policies", says SSNC chairman Göran Enander.