Saft extends China plant with new rail battery assembly line
- New assembly line is Saft’s most significant investment in Asia since the new Zhuhai facility opened
- Zhuhai is now assembling MRX and MSX battery cells to support rail projects throughout Asia
Zhuhai, China, May 20, 2019 – Saft celebrated on May 17 the inauguration of a new assembly line for MRX and MSX rail battery cells at its Zhuhai facility in China. The new line is Saft’s most important development in Asia since the Zhuhai facility moved to the current 12,000 m² site, it has a maximum production capacity of 19 megampere-hour (MAh)/year.
The expanded MRX and MSX assembly line will meet the growing demand for reliable, high-performance onboard battery systems to support rolling stock projects in Asia, currently the world’s largest market. Customers can now benefit from the advanced electrochemistry and key high-quality components offered by Saft’s rail battery factory in Bordeaux, France combined with the shorter lead-time and flexibility made possible by local engineering and assembly in China.
Hervé Amossé, Executive Vice President of Saft’s Transportation, Telecom & Grid (TTG) division, said: “The further development of railway networks is critical for Asia’s economic growth. Saft is supporting this with the expansion of our Zhuhai facilities to provide safe and reliable onboard batteries based on proven technology and tailored to suit the local market.”
Saft MRX and MSX battery systems provide onboard backup power to support passenger safety, comfort and train start-up systems if the main power supply is interrupted. MSX batteries are also used for diesel engine starting.
Recent Saft rail projects in Asia
Saft is delivering over 400 MSX battery systems for 130 new trains destined for Lines 5, 8 and 9 of the Chengdu Metro as part of a multi-million-dollar, two-year contract for CRRC, the Chinese rolling stock manufacturer.
In 2018, Saft was awarded a contract by CRRC Nanjing Puzhen to supply MSX battery systems for the new metro trains being built for the Changzhou Rail Transit Line 1 project. The battery systems will provide emergency backup power as well as traction power for short distances.
Saft supplies over 220 batteries to the new metro lines in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, in a multi-million-dollar contract with CSR Zhuhou Electric Locomotive Company. The batteries support vital control, communications and passenger safety functions on the three new metro trains.
Editor’s note
Saft first established the Zhuhai plant in 2006 to support civil electronics customers. In 2012 it was developed as an engineering base for Saft’s rail project team focused on the Asian market. In 2019 a new assembly line for MRX and MSX battery cells was added.
To date the Zhuhai plant has supported around 40 individual railway projects and assembled over 1,500 rail batteries. The new MRX and MSX lines will provide increased production capacity that will decrease the typical lead time for rail projects by around six weeks.
Saft Zhuhai is now able to provide a comprehensive, flexible, fast-response service for the design, engineering, production and management of rail battery projects including cell assembly and system assembly. This is backed by a full-scope after-sales service based on extensive local knowledge and experience.
About Saft
Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For 100 years, Saft’s longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance on land, at sea, in the air and in space. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total, a leading international oil and gas company and a major player in low-carbon energies.
We energize the world. www.saftbatteries.com
###
Press Contacts
Saft
Karen Hollington, Corporate communications manager
Tel. : +33 1 58 63 16 60, e-mail: karen.hollington@saftbatteries.com
Diana Mejia, Communications manager, Transportation, Telecom & Grid
Tel.: +33 1 58 63 16 92, e-mail: diana.mejia@saftbatteries.com
TopLine Comms: Andrew Bartlett, Tel.: +44 207 580 6502, e-mail: andrew@toplinecomms.com
Clapp Communications: Lisa Harlow, Tel. : +1-410-561-8886, e-mail: lisa@clappcommunications.com