Power and automation technology major ABB will invest Rs 250 crore to build new facilities in India to manufacture high-voltage power products and transformers.

The facilities will be located at Savli in Gujarat and will produce high-voltage gas-insulated switchgears (GIS) and PASS (plug and switch system) hybrid switchgears as well as dry-type and oil immersed distribution transformers. The facilities are expected to be operational by the end of 2012, according to a press statement.

“The new manufacturing units will strengthen our local footprint and enhance our product portfolio,” a statement quoting Mr Pitamber Shivnani, Local Division Manager, Power Products in India, said.

ABB’s plug and switch system (PASS) is a hybrid switchgear solution that combines the features of air- and gas-insulated technologies, the statement said. The new transformer factory will also manufacture vacuum cast coil dry-type transformers and oil immersed distribution transformers. It will help bridge a gap in the present product offering in India and extend the distribution transformer range, according to the statement. It will also enable localisation of vacuum cast coil dry-type transformers, which help reduce environmental impact and can be deployed in environmentally challenging conditions.

According to the press statement, the expansion is part of ABB’s strategy to develop, manufacture and market products that meet the needs of Indian customers as well as serve as an export hub.