Producer
Saft (TotalEnergies subsidiary)
Saft Groupe S.A. (HQ Bagnolet, Seine-Saint-Denis; wholly owned by TotalEnergies since 2016; ~€1B revenue) is Europe's leading manufacturer of industrial and mission-critical batteries. Saft produces NiMH and Li-ion battery packs for ATEX-rated (IECEx/ATEX Zone 1/2, explosion-proof) professional radio equipment used in oil refineries, chemical plants, offshore platforms, and mining — applications where a standard consumer Li-ion battery would be a fire/explosion hazard. Saft's Valdosta, Georgia and Bordeaux, France facilities produce batteries for professional electronics, defense, and space applications. Saft is the primary supplier of intrinsically safe (IS) and ATEX-rated batteries for ATEX-rated radios (Hytera ATEX, Motorola APX ATEX, Kenwood ProTalk ATEX). These applications have essentially no substitute for Saft-certified batteries — a competitor cannot simply offer an 'equivalent' IS battery without 18-24 month IECEx certification process. TotalEnergies uses Saft batteries in its own LNG and refinery operations.
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2 facilities
Saft Battery Valdosta Plant (Valdosta, GA) →
USGeorgia · manufacturing
Saft's Valdosta, Georgia facility manufactures nickel and lithium battery systems for US defense, aerospace, and industrial applications. Saft Valdosta produces batteries for US military radio applications (including some L3Harris Falcon radio battery qualification programs) and serves US aerospace customers. US production is strategically important for ITAR-controlled battery programs and Buy American Act procurement requirements for US federal agencies. Source: https://www.saftbatteries.com/about/locations/valdosta
Saft Bordeaux Li-ion Manufacturing Plant →
FRNouvelle-Aquitaine · manufacturing
Saft's Bordeaux facility (Bordeaux-Hourcade industrial zone) is the primary European production site for industrial and specialty Li-ion battery systems including ATEX-rated battery packs for professional radio equipment. Saft Bordeaux produces batteries for oil & gas, defense, and railway applications where IECEx/ATEX certification is mandatory. The facility is one of only a handful globally capable of certifying batteries to ATEX Zone 1 (explosive atmosphere) standards — a certification that takes 18-24 months to obtain and limits competition. Source: https://www.saftbatteries.com/about/locations
What else they do
Business segments
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Defense & Military Batteries
30%Industrial & Oil/Gas (ATEX) Batteries
28%Telecom & UPS Backup Batteries
22%Space & Satellite Batteries
20%
Intelligence
What's known
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Did you know2024
Saft's parent TotalEnergies is simultaneously one of the world's largest petroleum producers (fossil fuel supply chain) AND the owner of Europe's leading industrial battery maker (energy storage for renewables, grid stability, telecom backup). TotalEnergies profits from oil and gas production that drives climate change AND profits from battery energy storage that enables the renewable energy transition away from fossil fuels. Within Saft specifically, the same company making ATEX explosion-proof batteries for offshore oil rigs (fossil fuel extraction) also makes the batteries for NASA/ESA Mars rovers (space exploration) AND submarine propulsion batteries (naval defense) AND telecom tower backup (communications infrastructure) — four supply chains with no obvious connection sharing one French industrial battery company.
Saft / TotalEnergies ↗Chokepoint2023
Saft (TotalEnergies) is the sole IECEx/ATEX-certified volume manufacturer of lithium-ion battery packs for Zone 1 hazardous atmosphere professional radio equipment globally. ATEX Zone 1 certification for a battery pack requires: (1) intrinsic safety design (energy-limiting circuits prevent sparks that could ignite explosive gases), (2) IECEx testing by an accredited notified body (Bureau Veritas, TÜV Rheinland), (3) 18-24 months of certification process. Oil refineries, chemical plants, grain elevators (combustible dust), and offshore platforms legally cannot operate radio equipment without ATEX-certified batteries in hazardous zones. If Saft's Bordeaux manufacturing facility (the primary ATEX battery production site) experienced a disruption — fire, strike, regulatory shutdown — there is no certified alternative. No Chinese battery manufacturer has sought or obtained IECEx Zone 1 certification for professional radio batteries. The certification is the barrier, not the technology.
Saft / TotalEnergies ↗Origin2023
Saft (Société des Accumulateurs Fixes et de Traction) was founded in 1918 in France after WWI to manufacture industrial batteries for railway electrification and submarine propulsion — two of the most energy-intensive applications of the early 20th century. Saft grew through the 20th century as French industrial and defense electrification expanded, developing expertise in NiMH and later Li-ion chemistries for mission-critical applications where standard consumer batteries are inadequate. In 2016, Total S.A. (now TotalEnergies) — France's major petroleum company — acquired Saft for €950 million as part of its strategy to position in energy storage alongside its fossil fuel business.
Saft / TotalEnergies ↗