OREANDA-NEWS. ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, today announced the inauguration of a new manufacturing facility for medium-voltage air-insulated switchgear (AIS), located in Tangerang, 25 kilometers from Indonesia's capital Jakarta. The move is part of ABB's \\$20-million investment plan for Indonesia which includes last year's opening of a new factory for low-voltage products in Cibitung, West Java.

Indonesia is the world's fourth most-populous country and is counted among the world's growing economies. Switchgear produced by the new factory will facilitate efficient and reliable power distribution and help address the increasing demand for electricity, driven by rapid urbanization and a growing industrial sector. In addition to serving the country's needs, the unit will also serve as an important supply hub for the region.

"This state-of-the-art facility will help us address the growing power distribution sector and underlines ABB's commitment to Indonesia and South Asia" said Bernhard Jucker, President of ABB's Power Products division. "The investment supports our global footprint approach and is in line with ABB's Next Level Strategy aimed at accelerating sustainable value creation and focusing on growth markets."

The 3,700 square-meter plant will manufacture a range of medium-voltage AIS such as ABB's UniSwitch, UniSec, UniGear and UniGear Digital, representing some of the latest innovations in medium-voltage switchgear. The new semi-automated factory has been designed for lean manufacturing operations with the capability to produce over 4,000 switchgear panels a year.

ABB has more than a million AIS panels installed in over 100 countries, used in demanding locations such as offshore platforms, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or cruise ships and mines, as well as in more common applications, like in the manufacturing industry, utility substations, power plants, chemical plants, data centers, wind farms and major sporting venues.

In a power system, switchgear is used to control, protect and isolate electrical equipment to ensure the reliability of the electricity supply. Switchgear products deploy different types of insulation medium, the most common ones being air, gas and oil. ABB has more than 80 years' experience in switching technology and has pioneered several innovations over the past decades.

ABB's Medium Voltage Products business unit provides utility, industrial and commercial customers with safe, reliable and smart technologies for the distribution of electricity. The extensive global offering includes distribution automation products, switching, limiting, measuring and sensing devices, switchgear, modular substation packages and related services.