ANNUAL REPORT 2011 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT - Saft

ACTIVITIES
INDUSTRIAL BATTERY GROUP
30 / SAFT - ANNUAL REPORT 2011
2011 was an eventful year for the Industrial Battery
Group. The division recorded good sales, underpinning
the recovery that started in 2010. Its traditional
nickel-based business grew
and was complemented by
the year’s major event, the
opening of the Jacksonville
production facility in Florida,
which is focused on lithium-ion
technology.
This $200 million project is
the biggest ever investment in
Saft’s history and clearly positions
the company at the
leading edge of lithium-ion
technology. The Jacksonville
facility opened towards the
end of the year. Its first products are now rolling off
the manufacturing line. The new factory will focus on
a new product range, energy storage systems, for
which demand is expected to grow substantially in
the coming years. It will also produce high-performance
Li-ion products for the telecommunications and
aviation markets. The Li-ion technology is beginning
to open up new possibilities in the industrial markets.
TRANSPORTATION
Aviation
Saft is the world’s leading producer of high-technology
batteries for the aviation market. In both commercial
and military aircraft, Saft batteries ensure critical
safety functions such as power back-up for emergency
systems, avionics and engine starting. Saft is a key
supplier for all the leading aircraft manufacturers in
industrial countries as well as for all major air forces,
and the exclusive battery supplier for Airbus aircraft.
This activity in 2011 continued to show solid
growth, with the replacement business expanding
particularly well. Nickel-based technology is still
dominant in this area, but Li-ion is the technology of
choice for the next generation of aircraft.
Rail transport
Saft supplies leading railway and mass transit operators
as well as train manufacturers with nickelbased
batteries for back-up power, communication,
56.4%
OF GROUP SALES
12.5%
OF EBITDA MARGIN
(WITH JACkSONVILLE)
lighting, air-conditioning systems, and critical safety
applications such as emergency braking and dooropening
systems.
A number of important orders
were received in 2011. These
include major orders for the
Saft MRX specialised battery
systems from Bombardier for
express services between
Stansted Airport and London
city and for the MITRAC locomotives
in New Jersey and
Montreal. In Asia, Saft batteries
will equip trainsets on the
Hong kong West Island line
and on the kTM network in
Malaysia, the latter to be
supplied by China’s leading rolling stock manufacturer,
CSR Zhuzhou. Indeed, China is investing heavily in
its railway industry. That is why Saft is building up its
Chinese operations and expanding its production
capacity there.
Saft, also launched its new SRM+ compact costeffective
solution for high-energy back-up onboard
rolling stock for applications covering passenger
safety and comfort, as well as fail-safe engine
starting. The SRM+ delivers high performance,
reliability, and a 15-year+ service life in a fully
recyclable single cell package that has the same
footprint as a block battery.
Electric mobility
This is a promising new business area for IBG. Saft
has customised lithium-ion batteries for a leading
German forklift truck manufacturer offering increased
power and optimum energy density in a compact,
lightweight design. Both of these products were
showcased at the 2011 Hannover Fair.
Another first for the company was the supply of a specially
developed Li-ion battery to power Peugeot’s
new electric scooter, e-Vivacity. This is a compact,
maintenance-free battery that is rechargeable from a
domestic 220 V socket and offers the scooter 60 km
of autonomy.
It is also to be noted that Saft has supplied Li-ion
batteries for the kERS systems for five Formula One
racing teams during the 2011 season.