ZURICH, August 2, 2011 (AFP) - Swiss engineering giant ABB said Tuesday it has won a $1 billion (706 million euros) order from Dutch-German transmission grid operator TenneT to link offshore wind farms to the German power grid.

"This is the largest power transmission order in ABB's history," the group said in a statement.

"The completed link will be capable of supplying more than 1.5 million households with clean wind-generated electricity," it added.

Under the deal, ABB will design, engineer, supply and install the offshore platform in the North Sea, the offshore and onshore converter stations, and the land and sea cable systems.

In July, the engineering group posted a 43 percent increase in second quarter net profits to $893 million.