ILA to play vital role supporting the lead battery industry – Batteries International

The International Lead Association (ILA) has put promoting the many benefits of lead batteries high on its agenda over the coming years.

In an artilce published in Batteries International this month, ILA Managing Director Dr Andy Bush looks at how lead batteries are essential for delivering power to society and remains the dominant battery technology – more than 1 billion vehicles worldwide rely on lead-based batteries. As an innovative technology lead batteries are also predicted to account for 25% of the global battery-based grid storage market by 2020. While the high recycling rates of lead (more than 95% worldwide) means the sustainability credentials of the lead battery industry are undisputed.

Dr Bush, said: “Sustainable solutions are what today’s society is increasingly demanding and the lead battery industry has to deliver products that meet that need. Today lead batteries are the world’s most recycled consumer product and that is chiefly due to the lead that is contained in them”

“Lead batteries are essential, sustainable and innovative and delivering those powerful messages to stakeholders is something that ILA has high on its agenda.”

Among its work to support lead battery technology ILA has recently partnered with Europe’s automotive and industrial battery producers, plus the vehicle manufacturer associations of Europe, Japan and South Korea on a significant project to set out the case for the continued use of lead batteries in automotive applications.

The project, A Review of Battery Technologiies for Automotive Applications, has concluded that lead-based batteries in SLI (starter, lighter, ignition) battery applications will remain the most  widespread energy storage system in automotive applications for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile research and development, supported by ALABC, has demonstrated that the LC Super Hybrid vehicle, which uses advanced lead-carbon batteries and other electrical components to increase engine efficiency, can lower carbon emissions and boost performance in 12V and 48V mild/micro hybrid vehicles.

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Notes to editors

About ILA

The International Lead Association is the worldwide membership body that supports companies involved in the mining, smelting, refining and recycling of lead. The ILA represents the producers of about 3 million tonnes of lead.

With offices in the UK and USA the ILA provides a range of technical, scientific and communications support and is focused on all aspects of the industry’s safe production, use and recycling of lead and helps funds bodies such as the International Lead Management Center and ILZRO.  

The Lead REACH Consortium is a stand-alone project of ILA-Europe and its activities are funded by 100 member companies.

ILA also supports the Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium, which manages the research, development and promotion of lead-based batteries for markets such as hybrid electric vehicles, start-stop automotive systems and grid-scale energy storage applications. Visit www.ila-lead.org