Lead battery innovation conference ELBC opens in Lyon

Dr Andy Bush, Managing Director of ILA, opened ELBC, the battery innovation conference highlighting the critical role lead batteries will play meeting global energy challenges. 

He told delegates at the event in Lyon the world is trying to work out how to deal with some unprecedented global challenges affecting all our lives, saying energy storage, in the form of batteries, is unquestionably part of the solution. 

In his address to the conference he said that what is still not recognised by so many people wresting with the solutions to climate change, energy and raw materials security, sustainability and a circular economy, is the contribution that lead batteries can and will make. “They are a readymade solution and one that everyone already relies on in their daily lives, and yet… almost nobody sees or knows about,” he said.  

“Every week now there seems to be another report highlighting the gap between lithium battery raw materials supply and demand, or the challenges of ramping up lithium battery manufacturing capacity, and then there’s the environmental impacts of sourcing vast quantities of critical raw materials, and the inevitable implications for lithium battery prices. 

“And it’s for these reasons, amongst many others, that I for one am convinced lead batteries will play an important role in the future. They WILL continue to be one of the two major chemistries, along with lithium, delivering at scale the majority of battery energy storage needs. 

He added that it’s important to have a policy and a legislative framework that recognises the importance of lead batteries, and one that incentivises the investment needed to help meet that growing energy storage demand.  

Meeting these challenges is why organisations such as ILA and CBI exist.   

Dr Bush said: “We are increasing awareness of the critical role lead batteries can play in meeting future energy storage needs, and the support industry needs to make that happen. And we continue to challenge policies and legislation that are disproportionate and constrain the investment needed to meet that critical societal need.”

“We also play an important role in supporting continuous improvement in the responsible management of lead worldwide, including where it can be most challenging such as the informal and poorly regulated sectors in low and middle-income countries.

And of course, through the Consortium for Battery Innovation, we are facilitating, and accelerating lead battery research and innovation.”