Fluence and Saft Launch Manufacturing Operations in the U.S. to Meet Domestic Demand

Battery energy storage system (BESS) integrators Fluence and Saft have respectively initiated domestic manufacturing operations for battery modules and BESS containers in the U.S.
Fluence has begun producing battery modules for energy storage at a factory in Utah, integrating battery cells supplied by a Tennessee vendor, as previously announced by the company.
Fluence claims this gives it a first-mover advantage in providing energy storage solutions that meet the domestic investment tax credit (ITC) adders stipulated by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It also means that these BESS will avoid the 25% tariff on Chinese battery imports.
John Zahurancik, President of Fluence Americas, stated, “We are moving quickly to provide domestically manufactured energy storage solutions that meet customer needs, reduce project supply chain risks, and support national energy independence.”
Meanwhile, French company Saft has launched new production lines at its factory in Jacksonville, Florida, to produce lithium-ion battery containers for its BESS solutions.
The company stated that this would enable it "to meet the U.S. demand for ESS projects by providing solutions containing domestic components," although the company did not explicitly state whether these BESS would qualify for the IRA's domestic content incentives.
Instead, producing the containers marks the beginning of its U.S. supply chain development, ultimately aiming to qualify for the domestic content ITC by 2026, with an expected production capacity of 5GWh by 2027. Saft is a subsidiary of oil and gas giant TotalEnergies.
These announcements were made at the RE+ Clean Energy Technology Expo and Conference held this week (September 9-13) in Anaheim, California.