As part of efforts to expand its energy storage business globally, Saft has opened a new manufacturing hub for energy storage solutions in the Chinese province of Zhuhai.

The aim is to support the transition to renewables.

With the new facility, Saft has expanded its energy storage manufacturing to three continents. The company has facilities in Bordeaux, France, and Jacksonville, US.

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.

The manufacturing capacity of the new 6,600m2 plant will be around 200 containers per year, which is equivalent to 480MWh.

The Zhuhai plant is already producing Intensium Max 20 High Energy containers. These were launched in 2019 to offer a solution for energy density, energy efficiency, lifetime and performance with 1.2MW of power and 2.5MWh of energy storage.

By launching the new plant, Saft is hopeful to play a key role in helping to meet the global rising demand for energy storage solutions. The global energy storage market is expected to reach an installed base of 34GWh by 2025.

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.”