Saft— a wholly owned subsidiary of Total— has opened an lithium-ion energy storage system (ESS) manufacturing hub in Zhuhai, China, as it prepares to serve a global market expected to reach an installed base of 34GWh by 2025.
The 6,600m2 manufacturing plant will build around 200 containers per year— the equivalent of 480MWh.
It is the company’s third production site alongside ones in Bordeaux, France, and Jacksonville, US.
The Zhuhai plant is already producing Intensium Max 20 High Energy containers, which the company launched in 2019.
The new plant will enable Saft to support customers all around the world with an integrated approach to energy storage, including every step from initial concept and sizing to system engineering, delivery and grid connection.
Hervé Amossé, executive vice president of Saft’s ESS and Mobility division, said: “Investment in our Zhuhai production line shows how we have grown from being a supplier of batteries to providing complete energy solutions.”
High-energy storage capacity will support the integration of renewable energy during the energy transition. It enables customers to time-shift the output from large wind farms and solar farms, defer grid investment through virtual power lines, and deliver ‘behind the meter’ storage for large industrial and commercial premises.