Re-thinking the flippers
NewsStinis Spreaders is delivering an increasing number of telescoping spreaders for STS cranes with a six flat flippers per spreader, as opposed to the traditional configuration of four corner flippers.
Funding for battery supplier
French battery start-up company WATTALPS has raised €11 million in Series A funding to further develop its modular and high-performance lithium-ion batteries featuring patented immersion cooling technology.
WATTALPS is an industrial start-up in the Auvergne Rhone Alpes Region that has been working in battery development for over a decade. It receives support from the French government and the European Commission. The company claims to have developed a “groundbreaking new immersion cooling technology, which pushes the boundaries of classical lithium-ion batteries.” It has secured ISO and IEC certifications for its immersion cooling technology and battery systems.
Matthieu Desbois-Renaudin, CEO at WATTALPS, has previously confirmed to WorldCargo News that WATTALP’s battery packs are large enough for cargo handling equipment. The company’s battery packs can go up to 224 kWh/pack and several can be combined for industrial applications that require 1MWh systems.
With the new funding, WATTALPS intends to double its team to 40 people in the coming 18 months. It will expand its manufacturing capacity in Moirans near Grenoble eightfold. Current capacity is 2,000 batteries per year, ranging from 10 kWh to 500 kWh.
Based on growth in off-road applications, WATTALPS has seen its revenues multiplied by five in 2023 and more than triple in 2024. The company has a target to surpass turnover of €100 million in five years, eventually moving to a bigger factory. Funding will also support the expansion of the product range and marketing beyond Europe.
“Our customers want batteries which are safe and always work as expected in all conditions, including the toughest that might be encountered by their applications. They had often started to work with other batteries and reached the limits of those classical batteries before choosing to work with us. They now want more of our batteries with the same technology, the same high quality, and the same high levels of customer service that are in the DNA of WATTALPS,” said Desbois-Renaudin.
WATTALPS also offers the possibility to repurpose its batteries for less demanding applications at the end of their first life.
*This article first appeared in the September print edition of WorldCargo News
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