The lead battery industry is powering Europe’s drive for innovative technologies
As Europe stives for energy independence and a transition to a low-carbon future, the role of batteries underpinning this shift continues to grow in importance.
From CBI-funded projects to university collaborations, advanced lead batteries are a technology embodying Europe’s drive for innovative technologies to deliver ambitious decarbonisation and electrification targets.
Creating synergy between academia and industry through battery research has been a cornerstone of CBI’s technical programs; with the aim of improving the many applications of lead batteries. Given hybrids and micro-hybrids are predicted to represent over 80% of new vehicles in Europe by 2030, the advanced lead batteries they rely on deliver greater fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions are therefore key to driving innovation in the automotive market.
CBI projects underway with top-tier innovation organisations across Europe such as Fraunhofer ISC, alongside Ford’s Research and Innovation Center, TU Berlin and Moll Batterien, and with Fraunhofer ISC partnering with Poland-based Wroclaw University are set to improve regenerative braking performance and Dynamic Charge Acceptance (DCA). The research is ensuring the most advanced lead batteries are used in vehicles, to support the transition to a low-carbon future.
In line the accelerated demand for renewable energy, CBI’s latest technical research program has funded a suite of projects dedicated to the driving innovation in advanced lead batteries for the growing energy storage market. As the world shifts to cleaner sources of energy and the need for more reliable grids, battery energy storage research is essential.
In an ongoing project with Spanish research institute INMA and ILA member and battery manufacturer Exide Technologies, high-tech neutron diffraction techniques are being used by scientists to gain a deeper understanding of processes occurring in a lead battery. This first-of-its-kind approach aims to improve energy efficiency and the cycle life of batteries for energy storage systems (ESS).
Tapping directly into the new goals set out in CBI’s Technical Roadmap, this energy storage research is paving the way for advanced lead batteries to enhance their performance for renewable and utility energy storage.
This is just a snapshot of the innovation underway across Europe, all focused on advanced lead batteries. Europe’s climate change goals are driving enhanced research for battery technologies with the EU lead battery industry striving to ensure lead batteries remain one of the central players in this shift to a low-carbon future.
Abridged from a series originally published by the Consortium for Battery Innovation.
