Hitachi, Ltd.(NYSE: HIT) (TSE: 6501), today announced the launch of a maintenance company 
in Singapore for power plants. This maintenance company, Asia Plant Maintenance Service 
Pte Ltd, is a joint-venture project amongst Hitachi, Ltd., Babcock-Hitachi K.K., Hitachi 
Asia Ltd. and Asia Project Engineering Pte Ltd (APECO). APECO deals in the construction 
and maintenance work of power plants for more than 30 years in Singapore.

Mr Katsukuni Hisano is the Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi's Power & Industry Systems 
Group.  He said : "The formation of Asia Plant Maintenance Service Pte Ltd in Singapore 
is part of our expansion plans. With Singapore as our base, we hope to introduce our 
maintenance business for power plants to the other parts of the world."

Privatization of the Power Industry has been taking place in many parts of the world.  In 
Singapore, privatization of power utilities has already begun. Also, the electricity pool 
market has been already started and electricity utilities will be fully privatized in 
April 2001. Hitachi understands that with tougher competition amongst the power producers, 
a more reliable, stable and efficient power plant operation is required.
 
Hence, Hitachi wish to meet the market requirements by providing a comprehensive 
maintenance service package. This new maintenance strategy includes preventive maintenance 
service, engineering technical support, proposing rehabilitation and improving plant 
efficiency, etc. Currently, there is no company who provides such a comprehensive 
maintenance service package in Singapore. 

Asia Plant Maintenance Service Pte Ltd is thus formed to meet these needs. We believe it 
will contribute to the Power Industry in Singapore. Some of its initial services include 
providing maintenance service such as engineering work, supplying of equipment and / or 
spare parts, maintenance work such as overhauling, etc. Eventually, it seeks to offer a 
complete range of comprehensive maintenance service works in the near future. Furthermore, 
it aims to offer this maintenance service to the other countries, with Singapore as its
 base.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd.  headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the 
world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1999 (ended March 31, 2000) 
consolidated sales of 8,001 billion yen ($75.5 billion*). The company manufactures and 
markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer 
products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., 
please visit Hitachi's Web site at http://global.hitachi.com. 

About Hitachi Asia Ltd.

Established in 1989, Hitachi Asia Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., 
oversees the marketing, sales and procurement operations of Hitachi for Asia, excluding 
Japan. In addition to its regional headquarters (RHQ) in Singapore, the company has 20 
other subsidiaries and offices spread across 10 Asian countries. Hitachi Asia markets a 
wide variety of products including power and industrial systems, industrial systems and 
components, information systems and electronic components. 

Hitachi Asia has more than 800 employees and its sales totalled more than S$5.1 billion 
(US$3 billion*) for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2000. For more information about 
Hitachi Asia, please visit its website at http://www.hitachi.com.sg.

*At an exchange rate of 106 yen to the US$
*At an exchange rate of 1.7 S$ to the US$.