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.
Saft said the new batteries include its SPH models, made in France, to deliver cranking power for diesel engine starting, as well as its SBM batteries, made in Sweden, to provide backup power for communication, navigation and emergency lighting systems.
“They are the new-generation battery types that have replaced the original H and M NiFe batteries installed between 1983 and 1986 for Finnish shipbuilder Wärtsilä on behalf of the Soviet Union,” the company said.
“The long life achieved by the original Saft nickel batteries was mainly due to their tough industrial construction but also to the professionalism of the icebreaker crews, who followed the battery operating schedules and standards to the letter.”
The batteries must withstand extremely low temperatures, as well as the shock and vibration of icebreaking and storm conditions, in a region where wind chill means temperatures can drop below -30˚C and ice thickness can reach 40 to 80cm due to the shallowness and low salinity of the Azov Sea.
Saft said the size and shape of the new batteries differ slightly to the originals, so the company worked with icebreaker technicians to find new locations for the batteries, despite the limited space on board.
