Power utility E.ON is replacing lead-acid backup power batteries from a distribution substation in the north west of Hungary with Saft’s nickel cadmium technology.
The pilot project aims to show how Saft’s Uptimax maintenance-free nickel pocket plate batteries can be installed as a direct Plug-and-Play replacement for time-served lead-acid batteries.
Saft is supplying two battery systems, each made up of 170 195Ah cells manufactured at its factory in Oskarshamn, Sweden, through Budepest-based Statron Hungary Power Systems.
The maintenance-free battery can fully charge at a single rather than dual voltage level, which means the German utility will be able to upgrade the batteries while retaining the existing charger.
The two firms formed a partnership in 2017 to identify potential sites to replace existing lead-acid batteries in Hungary’s 120kV distribution grid.
Substations require battery backup-power systems to operate switchgear, as well as monitoring and control systems, in the case of an outage. The batteries provide the power to reconfigure the network and clear faults so that operators can carry out network repairs safely.
