Safran and Cuberg announce teaming agreement on battery systems for advanced electric aviation

Safran Electrical & Power, an electric aircraft systems provider, has signed a teaming agreement with Cuberg, a subsidiary of the battery manufacturer Northvolt, around industrial, technical and commercial cooperation to jointly develop an aviation energy storage system for future full electric and hybrid aircraft.

Safran Electrical & Power and Cuberg will combine their complementary technologies and expertise to create high performance propulsive energy storage systems available for future generations of aircraft.

Cuberg, a vertically integrated battery provider, will manufacture and supply rechargeable aviation battery systems based on Cuberg’s lithium metal cells, modules, and packs while Safran Electrical & Power will develop a smart energy storage system managing the system design, high voltage protection components, integration, certification and in-service support.

Cuberg battery systems are built on the configurable Cuberg module, which has been internally validated to achieve a specific energy of 280 Wh/kg and energy density of 320 Wh/L. This specific energy is up to 40 percent higher than comparable modules based on lithium-ion technology.

This significant improvement translates to increased flight range which, in turn, enables new use cases for electric and hybrid aviation. Cuberg modules are purpose-built to manage the mechanical, thermal, and electrical integration of next-generation battery cells.

The Cuberg module incorporates Cuberg’s 20 Ampere-hour lithium metal cell technology. This technology uses a lithium metal anode and proprietary liquid electrolyte to simultaneously solve the interlocking challenges of high-performance cell design and manufacturability.

“We are excited to team with Cuberg as they propose unequaled disruptive battery cells technologies associated with a best-in-class industrialization process strongly supported by Northvolt. Their unique technology, combined with our expertise in aircraft electrical systems, will enable cutting-edge energy storage systems for the future platforms,” said Bruno Bellanger, vice president and general manager of Power division, Safran Electrical & Power.

“This partnership with Safran Electrical & Power will help both companies provide certifiable integrated battery systems to aviation customers around the world, and we are thrilled to be working with such an elite and respected provider of aviation products,” said Cuberg CEO and founder Richard Wang.

“Cuberg has built the world’s most established high-performance aviation battery systems program, and this teaming agreement is a welcome endorsement of our technology, our people, and our vision for the future of flight.”

This press release has been prepared and distributed by Cuberg.