Saft wins new Li-ion regenerative traction battery series production project for Siemens sustainable tram system in Qatar

The world’s most modern tram system serving Doha’s Education City will integrate Saft’s Ion-OnBoard® Regen Li-ion battery within the Siemens Sitras Hybrid Energy Storage (HES) system.
It provides catenary-free operation and regenerative braking to minimize visual and CO₂ impact on the local environment.

Milan, June, 8, 2015

Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, has won a series production project for lithium-ion (Li-ion) rail regenerative traction batteries. Saft’s new generation Ion-OnBoard® Regen Li-ion battery system will be deployed on 10 out of the total of 19 Avenio trams destined for Doha, the capital of Qatar. The batteries will play a vital role at the heart of the Siemens Sitras HES (Hybrid Energy Storage) system that will provide fully autonomous operation for the trams, without the use of overhead catenaries.

The Rail System business at Siemens is constructing the new tram system as a turnkey project, comprising 19 double-articulated tram units running over 11.5 km of track and serving 25 stations and stops at Doha’s Education City university campus. Operation without the need for a pantograph and catenaries, utilizing efficient regenerative braking and rapid charging at each stop, will make the Doha system the most modern tram in the world as well as establishing the “Avenio concept” as a model for sustainable, rail-based mass transit that reduces both visual impact and CO₂ emissions.

The Sitras HES system on the Doha trams will combine Saft’s new generation Ion-OnBoard® Regen traction batteries with a double-layer capacitor system to ensure the optimum energy balance. This approach provides rapid charging during the short stay at each tram stop, together with effective regenerative braking to reduce energy consumption by around 30 percent, enabling the trams to operate continuously throughout their daily shift.

The Doha tram system is scheduled to enter service in autumn 2016.

The Ion-OnBoard® Regen batteries are designed to meet the needs of railway OEMs and operators for both high power and energy density combined with a high rate of charge and discharge. Furthermore, the use of zero-maintenance Li-ion cells, combined with the advanced Battery Monitoring System and Management (BTMS) software, gives the operator total visibility of the battery’s status. This reduces maintenance to a strict minimum, and contributes to an overall battery system that ensures maximum availability. Saft is supplying the regenerative traction battery for the Doha project as a pre-assembled solution ready for installation on the tram roof.

About Saft

Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry. The Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of nickel batteries and primary lithium batteries for the industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, civil and military electronics’ markets. Saft is the world leader in space and defence batteries with its Li-ion technologies which are also deployed in the energy storage, transportation and telecommunication network markets. More than 4,000 employees in 18 countries, 14 manufacturing sites and an extensive sales network all contribute to accelerating the Group’s growth for the future.

Milan, June, 8, 2015

Press contacts:

Related content

Stories, Media & Events