Battery manufacturer GS Yuasa are pleased to be able to contribute to the fight against coronavirus by supplying power to the NHS Nightingale hospitals and other key medical projects.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, GS Yuasa have supplied Yuasa-branded Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system batteries to the new NHS Nightingale hospitals, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Newcastle, which will treat COVID-19 patients. The largest hospital at The ExCel Centre received its first patients recently and has the capacity to expand to up to 4,000 beds.

Yuasa VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) batteries are used as standby backup power in UPS systems which ensure the power remains on in the event of a mains electricity failure. The batteries are supplied directly to customers who are installing the UPS systems on site.

GS Yuasa have focused all their resources on supporting critical infrastructure and medical projects during the outbreak. Orders associated with the fight against the virus are being prioritised over all others, with stock and production ringfenced to ensure good availability and fast delivery is maintained at all times.

James Hylton, Managing Director of GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK Ltd, said: “The enormous impact of coronavirus has been felt by individuals and businesses around the world. We are proud that our batteries have been chosen to back up these key NHS Nightingale hospitals and humbled that because of the quality of our batteries we are able to make a small contribution to the national effort.”

GS Yuasa has also supplied thousands of Yuasa-branded VRLA batteries for use in critical infrastructure nationwide, including other medical facilities. Most Yuasa batteries supplied for these projects have been produced at GS Yuasa’s UK manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale, South Wales.

The UPS systems installed in hospitals, and many other applications, rely on VRLA batteries to supply electricity in the event of a mains power outage. This power bridges the gap between a mains failure and the moment an emergency generator kicks in. The UPS system ensures that critical systems remain active despite the failure. Each UPS system typically contains hundreds of batteries assembled on specialist racking.

James continues: “We are prioritising our stock at this time to support these crucial projects and our team have been working hard to ensure we maintain high levels of availability and service in order to provide our partners with coordinated on time delivery.

“Our batteries are a key component for a wide range of emergency back-up infrastructure as well as a critical part for vehicles that are required for essential commuting and the distribution of goods.”

GS Yuasa are the European market leader for industrial batteries. Their Yuasa SWL battery range is the preferred choice for most major UPS suppliers.

The Safety Centre are authorised distributors of Yuasa Batteries along with other leading manufacturers.