Saft is supplying backup power batteries to Tecnibat for trackside substations on the Haramain High Speed Railway. Tecnibat is a major Spanish provider of electrical energy supply and backup systems. The Saft batteries will be installed at all 49 trackside substations delivering backup power for the new service that will run between the cities of Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

The prestigious railway, with a total route length of 453 km served by trains capable of speeds up to 300 km/h, is expected to open its first phase at the end of 2015. It will eventually carry around three million passengers per year, significantly reducing road traffic congestion during the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
 
Saft has worked closely with Tecnibat to develop backup battery solutions for the trackside substations to ensure the security of the 125 V DC power supply for critical systems such as signaling, security and telecommunications.  The batteries have been tailored to meet the special protection challenges of the desert environment, including sandstorms, shifting dunes and temperatures that fluctuate from freezing at night to + 50 ˚C during the day.

Tecnibat selected nickel-based batteries from Saft’s Spanish subsidiary that are proven in demanding trackside applications. They perform reliably in extreme temperatures and have a long operating life and low maintenance requirements, ensuring an optimized TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). The batteries are housed in special cabinets designed to protect against sand while offering ease of access to all components.

Under the contract, Saft is supplying a total of 49 battery systems, each of which has a nominal capacity of 510 Ah. Some 20 percent of the battery systems have already been deployed, while the remainder will be installed during 2015.