saft

French battery maker Saft has installed replacement nickel technology batteries on board eight Russian icebreakers— 30 years after the company supplied the vessels’ original nickel iron (NiFE) batteries.

The batteries provide engine starting and backup power for the vessels operating around Russia’s ports in the southern Azov Sea. 

French battery company Saft has won an order to supply its SRX nickel-cadmium starter batteries to a freight rail company in Brazil.

Saft said the order from logistics firm MRS Logistica is for its 64V “low maintenance nickel technology battery systems” to be installed on board 58 16-cylinder diesel locomotives manufactured by GE Transportation.

Europe has “lost its edge” to China in the battery stakes— even before the EU’s proposed Batteries Alliance starts making cells, the boss of the company that owns French batteries firm Saft has said.

Patrick Pouyanné (pictured), the chairman and CEO of oil and gas giant Total, which acquired Saft in 2016, told broadcaster CNBC: “Quite frankly, Europe’s lost its edge, in this area, hasn’t it? The Chinese are now the world leaders in renewable energy.”

Pouyanné said he had spoken to German economy minister Peter Altmaier, who had “talked a lot about batteries, and how he thinks it’s an important direction” in which Europe should go.

French battery firm Saft is teaming up with European companies for a seven-year programme to develop next generation batteries— “focusing on advanced high-density lithium-ion and solid-state technology”.

Saft, which is owned by French oil and gas giant Total, said German technology group Siemens and Belgium-based chemicals firm Solvay have already committed to join the R&D initiative that will “develop and industrialise” next generation batteries for “all markets” including electric vehicles and energy storage systems.