French battery maker Saft has officially inaugurated France’s first production lines for solid-state batteries that the company hopes will promote electrification in the aviation and space sectors.
Saft, a subsidiary of French energy giant TotalEnergies, announced on Monday the inauguration of new production lines at its Bordeaux research and production for solid-state batteries that use both sulphide and polymer electrolytes at room temperature, a technological combination the company says offers a wide range of applications.
Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte, replacing the more volatile liquid or gel electrolytes found in standard lithium-ion batteries, and are seen as one of the most promising battery technologies. By replacing traditional liquid electrolytes with solid materials, solid-state batteries offer increased safety as well improved energy density that is up to 50 per cent higher.
Moreover, Saft’s solid-state batteries are being produced using a dry electrode process which is more environmentally responsible, cutting the CO2 emissions from this stage of production by up to 40 per cent.
The Bordeaux site is now operating production lines spanning both polymer semi-solid and sulphide solid-state technologies, reflecting what Saft describes as more than a decade of research, innovation, and industrial development.
Saft is hoping its new solid-state batteries will promote electrification in the aviation and space sectors – sectors where the company says “gains in safety, performance, and energy density are particularly valuable.”
“Solid-state batteries are among the most promising innovations for meeting tomorrow’s electrification needs,” said Cedric Duclos, Saft CEO.
“These new production lines mark an important milestone for Saft, as we turn several years of research into real industrial capacity, a statement of our ambition to establish France and Europe as leading players in this strategic technology.”
Saft has already delivered semi-solid-state cells to the aviation sector for the evaluation of future electric and hybrid aircraft architectures. Saft says it has delivered the first semi-solid battery cells to French aviation and aerospace firm Safran.
The delivery is the latest milestone in a partnership which was originally announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show in June of that year, which targeted the development of high-voltage battery systems for aviation.
The majority of the new battery cells will be tested at Safran’s System Test Center in Niort, France, which will carry out most of the validation and integration activities required for the development of future battery systems for electric and hybrid-electric propulsion.
Evaluation of solid-state cells and batteries will begin some time next year.
