Saft starts solid-state battery production in Bordeaux
Saft has opened production lines for solid-state batteries at its site in Bordeaux. The TotalEnergies-owned battery maker says it is the first manufacturer in France able to develop and produce solid-state batteries.
The batteries use a solid electrolyte that combines sulphide and polymer technologies and works at room temperature, according to a press release from Saft. According to the company, replacing the liquid electrolyte of a conventional lithium-ion battery with a solid material improves safety and gives an energy density up to 50% higher. The electrodes are made with a dry process, which Saft says cuts CO2 emissions from that production step by up to 40%.
Saft is targeting aviation and space, where safety, performance and energy density matter most. In aviation, the company has already delivered semi-solid-state cells for the evaluation of future electric and hybrid aircraft architectures.
“These new production lines mark an important milestone for Saft, as we turn several years of research into real industrial capacity, a statement of our ambition to establish France and Europe as leading players in this strategic technology,” says Cédric Duclos, CEO of Saft.
Saft has not disclosed the capacity of the new lines or when the first solid-state batteries will be delivered to customers.
