In August 1897 Joint Stock Company of "Russian Battery Factories "Tudor" started its activity from the manufacturing of the storage batteries for submarines and railway coachs' illumination, gradually having mastered the wide range of various types of the rechargeable cells.
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As the First World War demanded a great number of rechargeable cells for submarines, from the very beginning of its existence the factory actively struggled for military orders. By 1908, due to the high quality products the factory has achieved a monopoly for production of the batteries for submarines such as "SIG", "KARAS", "FOREL" and others.
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| After nationalization, in 1919 the factory has received the name of the State Battery Factory # 1, and in 1924 - the name of "Leninskaya Iskra" (Lenin Spark). |
| In 1924, the first in the USSR Central Battery Laboratory was arranged at the enterprise. |
| In 1928, the first in the USSR full-scale production of rechargeable cells for electric loaders and for the first domestic electric locomotives was mastered at the factory. |
| During the Great Patriotic War the factory, remaining in the besieged Leningrad, continued to produce the rechargeable cells for the front. The part of the factory employees has been evacuated to Urals Mountains and Siberia where independent factories were appeared (in Verkhny Ufaley and Leninsk-Kuznetsky cities). |
| In 1951 the factory has proceeded to production of alkaline accumulators. From this time the factory actively cooperates with Mine-Torpedo Board of the Navy in the field of manufacturing silver-zinc batteries for combat and training torpedos. Subsequently the production of the water-activated bipolar batteries for combat torpedos has been mastered at the factory. |
| In 70s the Company became the main supplier of accumulators for the defensive industry, 80 % of total amount of production went for military needs. A plenty of accumulators and batteries was manufactured for space application. The first in the world moon rover has been equipped with accumulators of our Company production. |
| In 1972 on the base of the factory and All-Union Scientific Research Battery Institute the Research-and-Production Association "ISTOCHNIK" being the main center of battery scientific and technical activity in Soviet Union has been formed. |
| In 80s the production of nickel-zinc rechargeable cells for electric vehicles has been mastered at the Company. The electric vehicles carried out the transport service of Olympic Games of 1980 in Moscow and Good Will Games of 1994 in Saint Petersburg. The electric vehicles with batteries assembled from nickel-zinc cells have repeatedly got the first places in prestigious European rallies in Monte Carlo, Copenhagen and Turin. |
| In the beginning of 90s Research-and-Production Association "ISTOCHNIK" has broken up to some independent legal units. Thus, Joint Stock Battery Company "RIGEL" became the successor of the factory. The Company has received the name in honor of the brightest star in constellation Orion. |
At the end of 1999 change of co-owners of the factory was taken place, the structure of the top managers was essentially updated. |
| From 2000 a great financial assets go on reconstruction and updating of industrial and scientific base of the Company. |
| The Company makes scientific research works in the field of nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion rechargeable cells and batteries production preparing. |
In February, 2004, under the sponsor support of Battery Company "RIGEL" the Scientific Conference "Future Development and Application of Lithium-Ion Power Sources" took place in St'Petersburg in which the representatives of Ministry of Defense of Russia, Ministry of Industry and Science of Russia, Ministry of Economical Development and Trade, Academy of Science of Russia and St'Petersburg Administration took part.
The sophisticated equipment has been purchased and the manufacturing line for cylindrical nickel-metal hydride rechargeable cells of AA, C and D size has been put into operation.
The production equipment for lithium-ion prismatic and cylindrical rechargeable cells has been obtained and installed, the mastering of the base technology has been started.
Works in the field of water-activated chemical power sources production arrangement are begun. |
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