Saft has won an order from Alstom India to supply backup battery systems for 800 Prima locomotives. In addition to being Saft’s largest ever single contract in the railway sector anywhere in the world, the order is game changing because Saft India will act as a full local end-to-end supplier from its manufacturing facility in Bibadi, Bangalore.
Having established the Bangalore factory in 2013, Saft has scaled up its capabilities fast to become a full local supplier to India’s rail market in support of the Government’s ‘Make in India’ program. This has seen Saft evolve from a local assembler of components to offer a complete battery system service covering the manufacture of cells as well as design, development, volume manufacturing and technical support. Previous orders from Alstom include delivery of battery systems for Chennai and Lucknow metro projects.
Saft will supply a total of 1,600 battery systems for the double section electric freight locomotives that will provide backup power for all vehicle control and critical safety systems.
The battery systems are based on its nickel-technology SRM+ cells that are designed for high energy backup in railway applications. Saft India’s battery engineers will deliver manufacture and test the 1,600 SRM+ batteries at Saft’s 75,000 sq ft Bibadi plant. Deliveries have started and will continue until 2028.
“Quality, safety, reliability and the manufacturing capabilities of Saft India were central to Alstom’s selection of Saft SRM+ batteries 800 Prima freight locomotives,” said Milan Sima, rail and mobility general manager at Saft. “We are proud to demonstrate that we have become a full local supplier and a strong force for all the major manufacturers in the Indian market.”
