TAIWAN: Saft has been awarded a contract to supply backup battery packs for the 68 electric locomotives that Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions is building for Taiwan Railways Administration.
Ordered in 2019 at a cost of NT$11bn, the 68 electric locomotives will be TRA’s first since 1992, and form part of a NT$100bn fleet renewal programme. They are primarily intended to haul inter-city passenger trains, but will also be used for freight. The locos are being engineered to withstand typhoon-force winds, the humid rainy season and temperatures above 40°C.
Saft is to supply backup power packs based on its MRX cells, with deliveries from the company’s Bordeaux plant expected to run for four years. The packs are being designed for a low total cost of ownership, with Saft citing reduced maintenance requirements and good resistance to corrosion of the nickel-based MRX cells, which are not susceptible to the ‘sudden death’ syndrome that can affect lead-acid batteries.
