As a leading developer of advanced electrical, control, and communication systems for railways, CAF P&A selected Saft lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery modules for its onboard energy storage systems. These are currently being retrofitted to the roofs of 21 of Birmingham's 2GT trams. During operation, the batteries will be charged on sections of the route served by overhead lines. They will then provide traction power over distances of several kilometers on new sections of track without overhead lines.
By adopting battery traction, Birmingham Network West Midlands has reduced the cost of extending its tram network by eliminating the need to invest in overhead lines.
Jean-François Reynaud, Project Manager at CAF P&A, said: “While CAF Power & Automation’s role is to provide systems to support electric traction, energy storage, control, and communication, our customers are really buying reliability. We selected technology partners like Saft because of their proven technology and their ability to meet our delivery schedules.”
Jose-Maria Carrasco, Area Sales Manager at Saft, said: “CAF’s Urbos trams will be in operation for decades, and it is essential that the batteries provide reliability and safe operation for a lifespan of at least seven years. Saft’s ability to provide expert technical support from our railway center of excellence in Bordeaux was a key deciding factor in CAF P&A’s selection of our technology.”
Saft designed the batteries to match the at least seven-year intervals estimated by CAF for major overhauls of this second generation of trams. This will allow Network West Midlands to optimize the fleet’s maintenance and operating schedule.
Saft delivered battery modules for each of the 21 trams, as well as battery management units (BMUs) and support to CAF P&A for battery module integration. CAF P&A integrated these components into battery systems at its facilities in San Sebastián, Spain.
The project builds on Saft's long-standing relationship with CAF P&A and its expertise in delivering high-performance Li-ion battery systems for catenary-free operation.
Saft's Li-ion cells are designed and manufactured at Saft's Nersac factory in France.
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CAF Urbos catenary-free trams in Birmingham, UK, incorporate SAFT Li-ion batteries
Saft has sent its final delivery of Li-ion batteries to CAF Power & Automation for integration into CAF Urbos trams, called second generation trams (2GT), to power the catenary-free operation in Birmingham, the UK's second largest city.
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