Saft battery systems will ensure the smooth and reliable operation of

Saft battery systems will ensure the smooth and reliable operation
of Siemens’ driverless Klang Valley metro trains in Malaysia
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Saft MRX battery systems will provide onboard emergency and traction backup power for
Siemens Inspiro metro trainsets under construction for the KVMRT project serving the
Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area.
Space and weight saving MRX design is the perfect complement to the Siemens Inspiro
platform that utilizes lightweight construction to optimize energy efficiency
Hong Kong, January 21st, 2015 – Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of
high-tech industrial batteries, has been awarded a million Euro, three-year, contract by
Siemens AG to provide MRX onboard battery systems for the fleet of new generation
driverless Inspiro metro trainsets currently under construction for Malaysia’s Klang Valley
Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project. The contract establishes Saft as the leader in
Malaysia’s rail market as well as reinforcing its position as a key supplier of battery systems
for Asia’s fast growing rail sector.
The 51 kilometer Sungai Buloh - Kajang (SBK) Line of the KVMRT project is scheduled to
open in two phases; in December 2016 and July 2017. The SBK Line will add to Kuala
Lumpur's existing 70 kilometer urban rail network (comprising LRT and monorail lines), which
will help to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in the capital city and its surrounding areas.
This will help the government to achieve its target of having 50% of all journeys in the Klang
Valley region made on public transport, by the year 2025. This will be aided by two additional
MRT lines in the city, expected to have a combined distance of more than 100 kilometers.
Siemens is constructing 58, four-car, Inspiro metro trainsets that will be assembled in a new
Malaysian plant in Rasa, Hulu Selangor. They will operate on the 51 km Sungai BulohKajang (SBK) line that will have 31 stations serving 1.2 million people.
The KVMRT trains, themed ‘The Guiding Light’, will be capable of carrying around 300
passengers at a frequency of one train every 3.5 minutes during peak hours. In order to
maintain this high frequency of service, two 110 V, 100 Ah Saft MRX battery systems will be
installed on each trainset to deliver emergency backup and traction power if the main power
supply is interrupted.
This is the first project in which Saft has cooperated with Siemens to supply the onboard
battery systems for the new generation Inspiro metro trains, which use lightweight
construction and advanced propulsion to optimize energy consumption. The MRX batteries
offer a major size and volume advantage of around 30 percent compared with conventional
batteries, making them the perfect complement to the innovative, eco-friendly Inspiro
platform.
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“Driverless metro systems call for absolute safety, performance and reliability of every
onboard system. So when Siemens came to specify the battery systems for the KVMRT, our
MRX batteries were the clear choice thanks to their outstanding track record established over
years of service in prestigious railway projects worldwide,” says Xavier Delacroix, General
Manager of Saft’s IBG Division
Saft MRX rail batteries
Saft MRX batteries are the ideal choice for this type of metro application as they have been
purpose-designed to deliver maximum performance, reliability and low TCO (Total Cost of
Ownership). They provide the low maintenance and long service life benefits of sintered/PBE
technology within a slim, light-weight block battery package.
The MRX design is extremely reliable and does not suffer from the ‘sudden death’ which can
affect some batteries, even in extreme temperatures ranging from - 30° to + 70°C.
About Saft
Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for
industry. The Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of nickel batteries and primary lithium batteries for
the industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, civil and military electronics’ markets. Saft is the
world leader in space and defence batteries with its Li-ion technologies which are also deployed in the energy
storage, transportation and telecommunication network markets. More than 3,800 employees in 18 countries,
14 manufacturing sites and an extensive sales network all contribute to accelerating the Group’s growth for the
future.
Saft batteries. Designed for industry.
www.saftbatteries.com
Press contact:
Jill Ledger, Saft Corporate Communications and Institutional Relations Director
Tel: +33 1 49 93 17 77, e-mail: [email protected]
Marie-Christine Guihéneuf, Saft IBG Communication Manager
Tel: + 33 1 49 93 17 16, e-mail: [email protected]
Andrew Bartlett, Six Degrees
Tel: + 44 (0) 1628 480280, e-mail: [email protected]
Brunswick
Benoît Grange, Tel.: +33 1 53 96 83 89
Guillaume Le Tarnec, Tel.: +33 1 53 96 83 73
e-mail: [email protected]
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