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.
Germany-based specialist battery equipment maker, Manz, is also signed up for the venture, Saft said.
“Should the development be successful, the next step will be to work together with industrial partners on new manufacturing processes, and on cell and system industrialisation,” Saft said. “This will then lead to an easily scalable manufacturing standard block of 1GWh.”
“These new generation batteries will provide performance, cost and safety advantages, compared to current lithium-ion products,” Saft said. “The batteries… will meet the most stringent standards for sustainable development.”
Saft CEO Ghislain Lescuyer (pictured) said: “Saft has 100 years of experience in research, development and manufacturing of high performing industrial cells and batteries, including over 25 years in lithium-ion. This programme is focused on the battery technology of the future, and when development of such solid-state technology is successfully achieved, innovative industrialisation processes with scalable 1GWh manufacturing blocks will start.”
“Batteries are at the heart of the current technological revolution. Their development and production play a strategic role in the on going transition to clean mobility and clean energy systems,” Lescuyer said.
According to Saft, “other leading European companies working in the fields of active material and system integration” are also set to come out in support of the venture.
However, Saft said the initiative would “need strong regulatory support and appropriate funding from European and national authorities”.