GAZ Energy a.s.

About GAZ Energy

GAZ Energy develops and manufactures nickel-based batteries (Ni-Cd) as well as energy storage systems (ESS) based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP). The portfolio includes Ni-Cd cells and battery systems for railway infrastructure, oil and gas, telecommunications, data centers, and aerospace; the Li-ion storage systems are available as pack, cabinet or container solutions ranging from several hundred kWh into the multi-MWh range and come with proprietary control software including cybersecurity functions. Production takes place in Bohumín (Czech Republic), where perforated strips, pocket plate electrodes, nickel-cadmium active materials, nickel hydroxide and electrode assemblies are produced, as well as at the traditional Zwickau plant with special batteries in sintered (foil plate) technology. Sales companies are located in Zwickau (DE), Houston (USA) and Al Khobar (Saudi Arabia); a production plant in Dammam is under construction. The company supplies customers in more than 120 countries and is part of the Bochemie Group.

Site

735 81 Bohumín

Processes

Manufacture of nickel-based batteries (Ni-Cd), Manufacture of perforated strips and pocket plate electrodes (pocket-type electrodes), Manufacture of nickel-cadmium active materials and nickel hydroxide, Manufacture of Li-ion BESS (LFP) on a pack, cabinet or container basis, Manufacture of special batteries using sintered (foil plate) technology, Manufacture and supply of Ni-Cd batteries, Li-ion BESS (LFP) in pack, cabinet and container format (hundreds of kWh to several MWh), Proprietary control software including cybersecurity

Materials

Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, LFP (lithium iron phosphate), Nickel hydroxide, Lead-acid (historical, miner's lamps/starter batteries), Nickel-Cadmium, Lithium Iron Phosphate (Li-ion), Nickel Hydroxide, Lead (historical)

Certificates

ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ČSN EN ISO 14001:2016, ISO 9001:2015 (TÜV Rheinland, 01 100 3224), ISO 14001:2015 (TÜV Rheinland, 01 104 052208), ČSN EN ISO 14001:2016 (Bureau Veritas, CZ012877)

Founded

1884

Industries

Energy/Energy storage, Transport/Rail, Oil and gas, Telecommunications, Aerospace & Defense, Industry

1. 01

   Development (including control software & cybersecurity)

2. 02

   Manufacture of active materials, nickel hydroxide and perforated strips

3. 03

   Electrode production (pocket plate and sintered/foil plate technology)

4. 04

   Cell and battery assembly (Ni-Cd)

5. 05

   BESS integration (LFP, pack/cabinet/container)

6. 06

   Sales and customer service before/during/after purchase

Materials & Processes

Sites

Bohumín

CZ

Headquarters and production (Ni-Cd, electrodes, active materials, LFP BESS)

Materials

Ni-Cd, LFP, nickel hydroxide

• Perforated strips
• Pocket plate electrodes
• Active material production
• BESS assembly

Zwickau

DE

GAZ Geräte- und Akkumulatorenwerk Zwickau GmbH; production and sales (Ni-Cd, sintered/foil plate technology,

Materials

Ni-Cd (NiCd)

• Special battery manufacturing using sintered (foil plate) technology

Houston, TX

US

Sales company GAZ Energy, LLC

Al Khobar / Dammam

SA

GAZ Middle East Industry Company; sales and production plant in Dammam under construction

Products & Components

Inside the production

Processes & technical limits

Quality & Certification

Quality and environmental management are certified to ISO 9001:2015 (TÜV Rheinland, Zwickau) as well as ISO 14001:2015 / ČSN EN ISO 14001:2016 (TÜV Rheinland and Bureau Veritas respectively). The certificates cover the development, production, sales and customer service of Ni-Cd batteries as well as the manufacture of electrodes, active materials and LFP energy storage systems.

History since 1884

1. 1884

   Founded as Friemann & Wolf (FriWo) by Carl Wolf and Heinrich Friemann, manufacturer of miner's lamps

2. 1900

   First electric miner's lamp with lead battery in production

3. 1907

   First lamp with Ni-Cd accumulator added to the product range

4. 1930

   Focus on batteries and lighting; Deutsche Reichsbahn as a major customer for Ni-Cd accumulators; starter batteries supplied to Horch/Audi in Zwickau

5. 1947

   New start after World War II following division into British and Soviet occupation zones

6. 1952

   USSR returns the plant to the GDR; conversion into a VEB (later GLZ), main supplier of starter batteries for the Trabant and Wartburg

7. 1968

   Major supplier of car batteries (approx. 80% of the portfolio) for the Eastern Bloc

8. 1992

   Privatization after reunification; the Ni-Cd division becomes GAZ, remaining in the historic buildings on Reichenbacher Straße, Zwickau

9. 2000

   Modernization of production, new Ni-Cd lines including lomain and later the SOL G Range

10. 2005

    GAZ becomes part of EnerSys; initial ISO 14001 certification; entry into aerospace and oil & gas (ISO 9001 initial certification 1999)

11. 2019

    Acquisition by Bochemie; founding of a US subsidiary; start of construction of a production site in Dammam, Saudi Arabia

12. 2024

    Introduction of Li-ion energy storage systems

13. 2025

    Founding of GAZ Energy (consolidation of the battery and energy storage division of the Bochemie Group); strategic partnership with Second Foundation; entry into 8 new markets