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Saft begins deliveries of first lithium-ion batteries

Saft begins deliveries of first lithium-ion batteries produced by new Jacksonville plant. Less than four months after opening, Saft is putting DoE funding to good use as it begins ramping up manufacturing volumes to $300M annual sales.

Jacksonville, Florida, December 19th, 2011 – Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech industrial batteries, has just started shipping the first cells to roll off the production lines at the world’s most advanced automated lithium-ion battery factory, in Jacksonville, Florida. The first deliveries from Jacksonville have included hundreds of cells for battery assembly for European customers.

"Starting volume industrial-scale deliveries to customers from the Jacksonville plant opened in September this year confirms the sound foundations we have put in place, both in terms of the advanced production technology we have implemented and the team of people we brought together to run it," said Dan Miller, Jacksonville operations manager. "We are now ramping up production to the volume of cells a year we need to address the constantly growing demand worldwide from customers who require reliable, high performance energy storage solutions".

Dan Miller continued, "Our flexible production lines are geared-up to build multi new generation Li-ion technologies to address energy storage markets but also a much broader range of applications including broadband backup power, transportation and defense."

The 235,000-square-foot facility which will employ 300 people once completely invested, was partly financed by a $95.5 million federal grant from the Department of Energy (DoE) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Saft also received incentives from the state of Florida and the city of Jacksonville.

Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced technology batteries for industry. The Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of nickel batteries and primary lithium batteries for the industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, civil and military electronics markets. Saft is the world leader in space and defence batteries with its Li-ion technologies which are also being deployed in the energy storage, transportation and telecommunication markets. Saft’s

4,000 employees present in 19 countries, its 16 manufacturing sites and extensive sales network all contribute to accelerating the Group’s growth for the future.

www.saftbatteries.com