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France backs Saft in advanced battery R&D

France’s government is throwing its weight behind a French-led consortium spearheading development of “third and fourth generation” lithium-ion battery technology.

The country’s powerful National Industrial Council (CNI)— headed by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe— said it is backing batteries research by Saft and others to the tune of “at least” EUR10 million ($11.5m).

france

saft

lithium-ion batteries

National Industrial Council

Battery firm foresees “tenfold” capacity increase at new French facility

French lithium-ion battery systems firm Forsee Power is preparing for a “tenfold” increase in production with plans for a new manufacturing facility in the country.

Foresee said the 15,000m² “mass manufacturing” facility to be built in Grand Poitier, western France, will initially run three automated production lines.

france

lithium-ion batteries

Forsee Power

manufacturing facility

Imerys strengthens grip on lithium-ion materials market

French minerals company Imerys Graphite & Carbon has strengthened its international grip on the lithium-ion materials market with a buy-out of a Japanese company.

The firm has obtained graphite surface treatment technology after buying Japanese company Nippon Power Graphite (NPG), which held a patented Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) coating technology.

france

Imerys Graphite & Carbon

Lithium-ion

japan

Nippon Power Graphite

Say bonjour to grid-scale organic flow battery applications

A French company has designed, assembled and tested a 10 kW organic redox flow battery prototype for renewable, smart and micro-grid applications.

Kemwatt’s non-corrosive organic RFB required two years of development from the Rennes based start-up.

Kemwatt

flow battery

micro-grid applications

france

Saft to replace substation lead-acid batteries with nickel cadmium

Battery maker Saft has been awarded the contract to supply its maintenance-free nickel cadmium backup battery systems to Brazil’s capital city.

The French firm will replace existing lead-acid batteries at all 34 of Brazilian power utility CEB (Companhia Energetica de Brasilia) distribution substations serving Brasilia.

saft

lead-acid

nickel cadmium backup battery systems

brazil

france

SAFT technology to power France’s biggest battery storage system

France’s largest battery storage system will use lithium-ion batteries to integrate renewable power generation on the grid.

Battery manufacturer Saft is supplying its Intensium® Max 2MW/1.3 MWh battery system to the Venteea project, which was officially launched on June 5.

france

battery storage system (BESS)

lithium-ion

renewable power generation

Areva and Schneider Electric partner for flow battery storage

France’s nuclear and renewables company Areva and critical power supplier Schneider Electric have teamed up for the development of a flow battery storage solution.

The project, funded by the European Union, is aimed to optimise an existing 50kW flow battery prototype made by EnStorage to a 150kW demonstration module. The new energy storage solution will be designed to generate and store electricity from renewable energy by combining hydrobromic acid and hydrogen.

EV sales rocket in France

Sales of electric vehicles rose by 55% last year in France with a total of 8770 vehicles sold.

The best selling model was the Renault Zoe, sales of which reached 5511, or a 62.8% share of the EV market. The figures are up from 5663 EVs in 2012.