Saft’s Tel.X nickel batteries are providing critical backup power for nine mobile substations deployed by Copel – Companhia Paranaense de Energia, the Brazilian power and telecoms utility. Copel is using the mobile substations to maintain continuity of supply during maintenance of critical substations on its network of 400 substations and 2,500 km lines in Brazil’s southern Paraná region.
Power systems company Provolt Tecnologia Eletrônica Ltda selected the Tel.X nickel batteries as they are significantly smaller than comparable Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) batteries, making them suitable for the tight envelope of space available.
Provolt has integrated them into battery systems to install in mobile substations alongside equipment such as switchgear, transformers, protection and control cabinets.
Nikolas Dreher from Provolt said: “Mobile substations need to provide the same level of performance as permanent substations from the back of a truck, where space and weight-carrying capacity are extremely limited. Battery systems based on Saft’s Tel.X cells gave us the right voltage and backup duration in a very small package, making them ideal for the job.”
In the case of an outage, the nickel battery systems will provide power to clear faults by reconfiguring switchgear and provide constant power for control and communications equipment.
Provolt ordered a total of nine battery systems, each of which is rated at 125 volts (V) and stores up to 80 amp-hours (Ah) energy.
The Tel.X nickel batteries manufactured in Valdosta, USA, have an extremely small size as they are usually installed at telecoms sites, where space is tight, and reliability is crucial.
The mobile stations are Copel’s latest example of technology innovation. It was the first Brazilian power company to automate its transmission network in 2003.
About Saft
Saft specializes in advanced technology battery solutions for industry, from the design and development to the production, customization and service provision. For 100 years, Saft’s longer-lasting batteries and systems have provided critical safety applications, back-up power and propulsion for our customers. Our innovative, safe and reliable technology delivers high performance on land, at sea, in the air and in space. Saft is powering industry and smarter cities, while providing critical back-up functionality in remote and harsh environments from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara Desert. Saft is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total, a leading international oil and gas company and a major player in renewables and electricity.