Mersen Selected to Provide Smart Laminated Busbars for Batteries for ACC

Mersen selected to provide smart laminated busbars for batteries for ACC.

Hello 2023! We’re starting the year with a bang! We are announce that we have signed a new partnership agreement with Mersen, a global expert in electrical specialities and advanced materials for high-tech industries. Mersen will provide smart laminated busbars for our new generation of batteries.

These busbars are a vital component that connect Li-ion cells whilst communicating with the Battery Management System. Mersen will manufacture the busbars at their plant in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and deliver them to our gigafactory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin. This contract has the potential to generate jobs for 60 people in France.

Mersen, a global expert in electrical power and advanced materials, has been selected by Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a joint venture between Stellantis, TotalEnergies/Saft and Mercedes-Benz, to supply smart laminated busbars for its new generation of sustainable and efficient batteries for the European EV market.

A smart laminated busbar is a key engineered component that connects Li-ion cells to each other while sensing key characteristics to communicate with the BMS (Battery Management System). The busbars will be manufactured in Mersen’s Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure facility (near Lyon, France), and delivered to ACC’s gigafactory in Billy-Berclau / Douvrin (France). Mersen intends to invest between €15 million and €20 million to set up high performance automated lines aligned with customer demand and further develop its strategic partnership with ACC.

The purchase agreement covers a seven-year period and could represent sales of circa €200 million for Mersen. This could represent approximately 50 jobs over the period in the French sites of Angers, where Mersen’s expertise center is located, and in St-Bonnet-de-Mure.

Gilles Boisseau, Mersen’s Executive VP, Electrical Power segment, said:

This contract is the result of 18 months of collaboration with ACC to develop a product tailored to their requirements.

“I would like to congratulate our teams for the work they’ve accomplished in terms of both R&D and industrial expertise.”

Luc Themelin, Chief Executive Officer of Mersen, added:

I would like to thank ACC for its support.

The EV market is key in Mersen’s medium-term strategy and this collaboration with ACC will contribute to our success in this market.”

Jean-Baptiste Formery, Vice President Purchasing at ACC, stated:

Automotive Cells Company (ACC) seeks to contribute to the energy transition by increasing access to sustainable, green electric mobility.

“This is an immense challenge for France and Europe alike, as almost the entire battery value chain is based out of Asia, in China, Korea and Japan. Our partnership with the Mersen group is fully in line with ACC’s strategy to develop this value chain in France and Europe.”

ABOUT MERSEN

Mersen is a global expert in electrical specialties and advanced materials for high-tech industries. With more than 50 industrial sites and 18 R&D centers in 35 countries around the world, Mersen develops custom-built solutions and delivers key products for clients in order to meet the new technological challenges shaping tomorrow’s world.

For over 130 years, Mersen’s teams has focused tirelessly on innovation to accompany its clients and meet their needs. Be it in solar power, electronics, electric vehicles, aerospace or other sectors, wherever technology is progressing, you will always find a bit of Mersen.

We work to constantly contribute to progress, striving daily to improve people’s lives and protect the planet. This corporate commitment has been recognized by external rating agencies, Ecovadis (Gold Medal) and MSCI (AA rating).

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Mersen selected to provide smart laminated busbars for batteries for ACC, January 2, 2022