Saft is to supply two lithium titanate oxide (LTO) traction batteries to Siemens Mobility to power seven Mireo Plus H hydrogen trains in Germany.
The French company said the batteries will form a hybrid power system with fuel cells to provide “a smart alternative” to diesel multiple units. This enables the Mireo Plus H trains to operate on long-distance routes without an overhead supply and no emissions.
Saft CEO Cedric Duclos said this is the first contract for LTO batteries on a major commercial rail project.
Each train is equipped with two 100kWh batteries. The fuel cells on the trains are controlled so that hydrogen is the primary power source. The batteries are mainly employed during acceleration to compensate for the power limitations of the fuel cells, and during braking to recover kinetic energy.
When the train is cruising, the batteries perform load levelling to enable the fuel cells to operate with maximum efficiency. The trains are each equipped with two LTO batteries – one for each two-car trainset.
