Saft has expanded its Zuhai battery cells plant in China to ramp up production for rail projects in Asia.
The French battery maker said on 20 May its new assembly line for MRX and MSX nickel-cadmium battery cells— which increases the plant’s production capacity by up to 19 megampere-hours per year— is Saft’s “most important development in Asia” since it moved Zuhai to its existing 12,000m² site.
The expanded facility “will meet the growing demand for reliable, high-performance on-board battery systems to support rolling stock projects in Asia, currently the world’s largest market”, Saft said.
Saft said engineering and assembly in China meant shorter lead times and flexibility for customers in the region. In the past, MRX/MSX modules have been assembled in Brodeaux and then shipped to China.
The company’s MRX and MSX battery systems provide on-board backup power and support train start-up systems if the main power supply is interrupted. MSX batteries are also used for diesel engine starting.
Saft is delivering more than 400 MSX battery systems for 130 new trains destined for the rapid transit system in the city of Chengdu— capital of China’s Sichuan Province.
Saft 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.
Earlier this year, Saft formed a joint venture with Chinese lead-acid battery group Tianneng Energy Technology to expand lithium-ion manufacturing and “scale up e-mobility and energy storage businesses”.
