These systems will provide essential onboard backup power for 68 electric locomotives on passenger services for the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA). Over a four-year delivery, Saft will supply a battery system for each locomotive based on its MRX cells.
As TRA’s first new electric locomotives since 1992, the new trains form part of a 10-year investment plan worth US$3.5bn. They will be built to protect passenger safety even in the case of typhoon-strength rainfall and gale force winds.
Milan Sima, general manager for rail at Saft, said, “We know that TRA and Toshiba’s core values are safety, punctuality, service and innovation. Saft recommended MRX battery systems to Toshiba because of their track record for long life, reliability, and safety.”
In service, the battery systems will provide TRA with a low total cost of ownership (TCO) thanks to low maintenance requirements, as well as resistance to elevated temperatures. This latter point is important for Taiwan’s climate – its hottest recorded temperature is 40.2˚C.
The battery systems’ high-quality materials are designed to resist corrosion that could otherwise take place in the humid conditions of Taiwan’s rainy season. In addition, being nickel batteries, the MRX cells are not susceptible to the ‘sudden death’ that can affect lead-acid batteries.
Saft MRX cells are manufactured in Bordeaux, France, to provide backup power for loads such as onboard signaling, lighting, control systems, pantograph operation, and passenger comfort.