YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland and PARIS, France, October 11, 2023 – A pusher tug built in 1965 and used by Lafarge France to push and steer barges laden with cement and related aggregates to, from and around Paris, is about to get a new lease on life – including a potential starring role in the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (picture available here).
Lafarge’s Marsouin, a nearly 60-year-old conventionally powered pusher boat, is being upgraded into a hybrid diesel and electric vessel. Its battery storage system will be supplied by Leclanché SA (SIX: LECN), one of the leading energy storage solutions companies and a prominent manufacturer of battery systems for all-electric and hybrid marine vessels. Leclanché’s Navius MRS-3TM (Marine Rack System) enjoys a solid reputation for quality, reliability and safe operation and has been specified for some of the largest and most prominent hybrid and all-electric ferry and specialised vessels.
Lafarge, a subsidiary of the Holcim Group (SIX: HOLN), is a French industrial company specialising in cement, construction aggregates and concrete. It operates one of the largest private river fleets in France. The company has announced it will be building a line of electric pusher tugs with the retrofit of Marsouin, an early example of its commitment to sustainability. Completion of the project is scheduled for the first half of 2024, months ahead of the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26 where Marsouin may play a supporting role for the opening ceremonies for the games.
“The retrofit of our Marsouin pusher is the first stage in an ambitious programme to modernise our entire fleet by 2030, which will make it possible to transport our materials more ecologically and reduce our environmental impact in the long term,” said Kevin Audegond, River Operations Manager - IdF Seine Aval Agency, Lafarge France.
Leclanché will be providing a 766 kWh, 65 Ah Navius MRS-3 system. Unlike many other battery providers, Leclanché manufactures its own lithium-ion cells and modules, built to its exacting standards, in its European manufacturing facilities. Safety is built into every aspect of the storage system including its liquid-cooling design.
Lafarge is the largest user of the waterways in France with four million tonnes of cement and related cargo transported each year – some 95% on the Seine River. With its new propulsion system and batteries in place, the Marsouin will again operate mostly on the Seine, from Monday to Friday, for 12 hours each day. The vessel will operate on batteries alone for approximately 80% of the time and would allow a 40% reduction in C02 emissions and a 70% drop in NOx and microparticles.
“Helping vessels owners like Lafarge to reduce their environmental impact is core to Leclanché’s DNA,” said Phil Broad, CEO, Leclanché E-Mobility. “The world stage that Marsouin and the Paris Olympics present is critically important in helping to reach other vessel owners and operators to realising what is possible using today’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology.”
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Navius MRS-3 is a trademark of Leclanché SA. All other tradenames are the property of their respective owners.
About Holcim
Holcim is a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. Driven by its purpose to build progress for people and the planet, its 60,000 employees are on a mission to decarbonize building, while improving living standards for all. The company empowers its customers across all regions to build better with less, with its broad range of low-carbon and circular solutions, from ECOPact to ECOPlanet. With its innovative systems, from Elevate’s roofing to PRB’s insulation, Holcim makes buildings more sustainable in use, driving energy efficiency and green retrofitting. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net-zero company with 1.5°C targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Learn more about Holcim on www.holcim.com, and by following us on LinkedIn.
About Lafarge France
A subsidiary of the Holcim Group, the world leader in innovative and sustainable building materials, Lafarge France is deeply committed to the ecological transition of the construction sector and acts on all levers to build more sustainable structures anchored in the circular economy. The company has 4,200 employees and more than 470 industrial sites spread throughout France. It offers its expertise and its products in 4 sectors of activity: cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and Solutions & Products. Thanks to its low-carbon cements and low-carbon concretes , Lafarge is committed to increasing the environmental performance of construction.
About Leclanché
Leclanché is a world leading provider of low-carbon footprint energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion cell technology. Established in 1909 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Leclanché’s history and heritage is rooted in battery and energy storage innovation. The company’s Swiss culture for precision and quality, together with its production facilities in Germany, make Leclanché the partner of choice for companies seeking the very best in battery performance and who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. Leclanché is organised into three business units: energy storage solutions, e-Mobility solutions and specialty battery systems. The company currently employs over 350 people with representative offices in eight countries around the world. Leclanché is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN).
Disclaimer
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanché's business, which can be identified by terminology such as "strategic", "proposes", "to introduce", "will", "planned", "expected", "commitment", "expects", "set", "preparing", "plans", "estimates", "aims", "would", "potential", "awaiting", "estimated", "proposal", or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanché's production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché's products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results.
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Contacts |
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Media contacts: |
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Switzerland / Europe: |
North America: |
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Thierry Meyer T: +41 (0) 79 785 35 81 E-mail: tme@dynamicsgroup.ch |
Henry Feintuch / Ashley Blas T: +1-646-753-5710 / +1-646-753-5713 E-mail: leclanche@feintuchpr.com |
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Germany: Christoph Miller T: +49 (0) 711 947 670 E-mail: leclanche@sympra.de |
Investor Contacts: Pasquale Foglia T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00 E-mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com |
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