Saft Launches Solid-State Battery Production Lines At Bordeaux Facility

Saft, the battery subsidiary of TotalEnergies, inaugurated new production lines for solid-state batteries at its facility in Bordeaux on 19 October 2026. The company is now the first manufacturer in France capable of producing both sulfide-based all-solid-state and polymer-based semi-solid batteries at room temperature. These technologies eliminate the flammable liquid electrolytes found in traditional lithium-ion cells to improve overall safety and energy density.

The new manufacturing process utilizes a dry electrode technique, which reduces the reliance on solvents and lowers energy consumption. According to the company, this method can decrease carbon dioxide emissions during the electrode production stage by as much as 40 percent. While the facility is currently operating as a pilot and semi-industrial site with a capacity of tens of thousands of cells annually, it represents a significant step for European solid-state battery development.

Saft CEO Cédric Duclos stated that the production lines have already achieved energy densities of nearly 400 Wh/kg, with a long-term goal of surpassing 500 Wh/kg. This represents a potential increase of up to 50 percent compared to conventional lithium-ion alternatives. A sample cell shown by the company was rated at approximately 370 Wh/kg, featuring a capacity of 7 Ah and 3.75 V.

The company is prioritizing the aviation and space sectors, where safety and weight reduction are essential. Saft has already provided semi-solid cells to Safran for testing in electric and hybrid-electric aircraft architectures, with evaluation taking place at the Safran System Test Center in Niort. This collaboration, which was initially announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show, is expected to incorporate solid-state batteries starting in 2027. Electric vehicles were not identified as a near-term target for this production capacity.