The Durathon battery can be used as a backup system for hybrid telecom sites where non-grid sources of power are utilized, and in traditional base stations that are powered by robust and/or unstable electrical grids. The company has made an investment of $160m on the new product.
Because of its proprietary chemistry, the Durathon battery lasts up to ten times longer than traditional telecom backup storage systems, which reduces the total cost of ownership and ensures network efficiency and optimization for wireless providers, the company claimed.
The Durathon battery is also temperature insensitive, allowing for coverage in remote areas with extreme weather conditions, making it adaptable to wireless providers, the company said.
GE’s new battery plant is located in Schenectady, New York, and has created350 new high tech jobs in the region. The facility is in close proximity to GE Global Research in Niskayuna, where advances to the battery chemistry were developed.
Prescott Logan, general manager of GE Energy Storage Technologies, said: ”As the telecommunications industry continues to expand, it’s essential that providers have reliable backup power to ensure continuous coverage for consumers in all areas of the globe.
”The Durathon battery will change the way providers think about backup energy storage and its importance in maintaining network availability.”
