Industrial battery manufacturer Saft will supply a liquid-cooled lithium-ion Super Phosphate (SLFP) battery system as back-up for the world’s largest cable-laying vessel.
It will be the first ship in the world to be fitted with the firm’s system, which is being developed and manufactured at Saft’s factories in France.
Saft’s 12V SLFP batteries can be charged between -0°C to +55°C and discharged between -30°C to +55°C.
The SLFP has a 5,000 cycle life and its cells are hermetically sealed, say the firm. However, it has to be stored at a 50% state-of-charge and should not fall below 25%.
The battery will be used to back up cable outloading operations in port and provide propulsion assistance at sea.
The battery can also support a peak load of up to 800kW for 10 seconds, enough to bring the ship’s turntables to a safe, controlled stop.
The SLFP cells and battery system is scheduled for delivery in Q4 2016, with the vessel’s launch due in 2017.
The ship is being built by Swiss conglomerate ABB’s marine arm, ABB Marine, in Norway.
