Source: Saft/Total
Saft Group S.A. (Levallois-Perret, France) has opened a new manufacturing hub for energy storage solutions (ESS) in Zhuhai, China. This will enhance the company’s capacity to serve the global ESS market and support the transition to renewable energy. The new plant will enable Saft to support customers all around the world with an integrated approach to energy storage. This includes every step from initial concept and sizing to system engineering, delivery and grid connection. As a result, operators will be able to keep their total cost of ownership (TCO) to a minimum, while maximizing performance.
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. Customers are turning to us for fully-integrated energy storage and microgrid technology solutions.”
The investment reinforces Saft’s existing footprint in Zhuhai as one of three strategic manufacturing hubs – the other two being in Bordeaux, France and Jacksonville, US.
The manufacturing capacity of the new 6,600 m2 plant will be around 200 containers per year, which is equivalent to 480 MWh.
The Zhuhai plant is already producing Intensium Max 20 High Energy containers. These were launched in 2019 to offer a ‘best in class’ solution for energy density, energy efficiency, lifetime and performance with 1.2 MW of power and 2.5 MWh of energy storage.
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.