We Celebrate Our 50th Anniversary !
2019 is a very special year for us at Sunergy.
2019 is a milestone for a company our size.
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of our pioneering progress.
50 years ago, in 1969, Dr Denis Doniat took the lead of the Electrochemical Processes Group of the Battelle Memorial Institute (Geneva).
One month later, he hired a scientist who was to became the second member of a Team which will follow him during 50 years.
That year began the great adventure of what was to become Sunergy.
Three years after, he answers the demand of the two co-Presidents of the Michelin-Citröen Group, one of his customers.
His mission ? to create PROGE, a subsidiary that specializes in electrochemical generators development for electric vehicles. He designs and equips its laboratories, hires and structures a scientific team, and defines the main R&D programs.
Having completed that mission and acquired the global experience needed for creating his own applied research centre, Dr Doniat founded SORAPEC in 1974.
He has one clear goal, that is still valid today : to be at the interface between academic research and industry, collaborating with both, in order to develop commercial products that meet the needs of producers and final customers.
The company specializes in the development of applications of the "electrochemical tool", and during 20 years, more than 500 research programs were developped for its customers in the fields of surface treatments, organic electrosynthesis, and electrochemical generators.
The Team - which grew up to 25 scientists - worked for wellknown customers such as Duracell, Matsushita Batteries, CEAC-Exide, Gold Peak Batteries, Sanyo, Tudor, Varta, Wonder, Citröen, PSA, Renault, Matra Automobiles, Michelin, Dornier, EDF, ELF, Merlin-Gérin, CNES, ESA, CNET, Sumitomo Electric, Rhône-Poulenc, Roussel-Uclaf, Synthélabo, Finorga, SNPE, the French Ministries of Defense and for Environment…
SORAPEC applied more than 50 patent families (not including patents applied by its customers on the basis of results obtained for them).
These works of applied research notably participated during the 80s in a certain number of significant strides relative to alkaline batteries : three-dimensional electrode collectors (metallic felts and foams), plastic-bonded type electrodes, fast charge of batteries, development of the nickel-metal hydride system…
Besides commercial R&D, SORAPEC self-funded scientific programs which led to industrial and commercial subsidiary activities :
- EPCI produced nickel foam as NiCd and NiMH electrode collectors for Japanese electronics and battery makers from 1983 to 1990, before being sold to Duracell Inc.
- NITECH produced small series and specially designed NiCd and NiMH batteries for some new applications, between 1985 and 1991, before being sold to the Suez Company., with SORAPEC itself.
In 1993, the core of the Team found SCPS, a new R&D company in which priority was given to internal self-funded programs, partially granted by French and European scientific authorities.
The main focus was to solve the poor cyclability of the zinc electrode, the main drawback which paralysed the development of secondary zinc anode battery systems.
It is in 1999 that the first of 10 patent families was written, which was to define and protect the first technology wthat allows NiZn to become a efficient and long cycle life commercial product.
The technology was progressively and continuously improved, up until its transfer for industrialization and marketing to Chilwee Group in 2017.
Since this major breakthrough, SCPS continues to bring improvements to the NiZn battery system, while diversifying our research programs and expanding our activity through contract R&D and international scientific partnerships.
To accompany this new phase of its activity, SCPS changed its name in 2019 for becoming SUNERGY.
