GLOBAL RAIL BATTERY MARKET

INTRODUCTION

Railways are the lifelines of any country’s economy. Train transportation is a major mode of transportation for passengers and cargo as well. In recent times there has been a gradual shift from the use of conventional fuels to better-cleaner alternatives for powering vehicles. 

This transition visible in Railways because of increased investment in railway electrification projects. The train battery is put in use to power the coaches when a train is heading slowly or is in the ready position. 

This market, because of its vulnerability to modern changes and developments in batteries for coaches and engines is opportunistic in the forecast period and therefore is expected to flourish to a great extent.

In the report, we will further dwell upon the variety of characteristics associated with this market and various opportunities arising in it.

GLOBAL RAIL BATTERY MARKET DYNAMICS

Following is a list of major factors responsible for driving this market forward:

• Demand for trains with low maintenance.
• Growing electrification of trains.
• The use of new features like automated doors, safety systems or effective lightening is pushing demand for high-power requirement
• Demand for stable electricity for trains providing opportunities for advanced batteries.
• Increased demand for fast trains over the globe.
• Increase in urbanization and government initiatives for rail expansion.
• Additional benefits like fewer carbon emissions.

On the other hand, the high capital investment and the high operational costs of the rail network is a huge blunder to the growth of this market. External factors like land acquisition, noise, and air pollution are also considered market restraining factors. In developing countries like India, plans have been formulated to modify the existing tracks but a lot of plans remain pending because of insufficient budget and therefore the growth rate is less owing to slow growth in rail networks expansion.

The Global rail battery market is segmented into various parts like Battery technology, locomotive type, application, and advanced train. Based on battery type the market is divided as Lead Acid Battery, Nickel Cadmium Battery, and Li-Ion Battery. Based on locomotive type, the market can be divided into Electric Locomotives, Metros, High-speed trains, Diesel Trains, Passenger Coaches, and others. By application, the division is as follows: Starter Battery, Auxiliary Battery. Finally, the category of Advance Trains is divided as follows: Autonomous Trains, Hybrid Locomotives, and Fully Battery-Operated Trains.

Recently, EnerSys has expanded its Manufacturer Representative Agreement with IBCI which is expected to be responsible for sales and service of all EnerSys motive power products in the state of Alabama.

GLOBAL RAIL BATTERY MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST

On a regional basis, the train battery market is segmented into North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.

Out of all the regions, the Asia Pacific is expected to hold a huge share of the train battery market and is also expected to flourish to a great extent in the forecast period. The reason behind being – an upsurge in demand for trains in countries like China, South Korea, and India. The government initiatives in these countries to introduce the concept of bullet trains have also received much attention in recent times.

High-speed trains, suburban trains, and urban train transits are majorly operated in China and therefore the country is expected to lead the rail battery market.

The fully battery-operated trains have no diesel generators and they utilize rechargeable batteries for traction power. Alstom announced its first contract for battery-electrical regional trains in Germany which demands 80km of non-electrified track and is also expected to deliver 11 Coradia Continental BEMU trains from 2023 and therefore creates opportunities for battery manufacturers in the region. 

The Auxiliary battery systems provide backup to all-important train systems like emergency lighting. For fully operated trains, Li-ion batteries have a huge potential to drive the market forward because of the small space for installation, light-weight, and performance. Henceforth, Europe and Asia-Pacific owing to the huge potential for expansion of high-speed rail networks are expected to drive the market forward.

Covid-19 had a severe impact on the revenue generated. The practice of Social Distancing did reduce the maximum rail car occupancy. Also, with the disruptions in trains movement all over the world, the demand for batteries in rails witnessed a decline during the pandemic period.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The relative high-power density and less maintenance cost of Sinter Plates in comparison to Lead-acid batteries are the opportunistic 3place for battery manufacturers.

Various aggressive plans formulated for Train electrification all over the globe with increased participation of private entities provide an opportunistic landscape for private firms to grow in this market.

Some of the major challenges and therefore areas for the scope of development and improvement as well are: 

• Increase Battery capacity for longer distances to be traveled.
• Installation requirements in rail
• Operation of Hybrid Trains in Diesel run train countries.

Last Year, the GS Yuasa Corporation announced the launch of its LIM50EL series of industrial Li-Ion Battery Modules which have amazingly long life. The company also succeeded in reducing the capacity degradation of their Li-Ion Battery Modules. This development has enabled the use of new battery modules in long periods for applications with frequent charge and discharge cycles or in relatively high temperatures.

EnerSys has established a Global Technology center where engineers develop new modular lithium product systems for motive and reserve power applications.

COMPANY PROFILE

The following list enumerates all the major companies in the marketplace:

• Hitachi
• LeClanche
• DMS Technologies
• China Shoto
• Enersys
• Saft
• GS Yuasa Corporation
• Exide Industries Ltd
• AMara Raja Batteries Ltd
• Hoppecke Batterien GmbH & Co. KG
• SEC Battery
• First National Battery
• Power & Industrial Battery Systems GmbH
• East Penn Manufacturing Company
• AEG Power Solutions
• Systems Sunlight
• The Furukawa Battery Co. Ltd.
• Hunan Fengri Power & Electric Co. Ltd.
• Coslight India
• Shield Batteries Limited
• Akasol AG
• National Railway Supply