Delegates pay homage to lead in shadow of the Parthenon

Gathering in the conference hotel in the shadow of the Parthenon, built on the Acropolis of Athens that was dedicated to the goddess Athena during the fifth century, one could not help ponder the analogy of a technology that has withstood the test of time.

The summer heatwave was in full force, but lead battery folk are made of sterner stuff and more than 200 took part in this year’s event.

Two workshops were held in advance of the conference proper, covering energy storage opportunities for the technology workplace exposure management (see panel).

Women in the Global Battery Industry reception held a pre-conference reception too.

There was a chance to drink in the sights of Athens from the rooftop of the conference hotel, set seemingly within touching distance of Athena’s temple.

But as always, there was serious work to be done too.

ILA managing director Andy Bush said the number of people attending reinforced the significant role the industry is playing supporting the many users of lead, including the battery industry.

“There is no doubt that we have a major role to play supporting worldwide efforts to decarbonize, as well as supporting products essential to the global economy and people’s day-to-day lives.”

Presentations on the first day of the conference began with keynote speakers including the CEO of Greek lead battery manufacturer and recycler Lampros Bisalas, and Thea Soule, chief commercial officer of Ecobat.

Bisalas said expanding innovation in lead battery technology is key to the industry having a bright future for years to come.

He said Sunlight’s commitment to innovation included employing some 160 full-time researchers (60 for lead and 100 for lithium).

Bisalas said “lead acid technology is in my blood” — and he outlined his company’s recent global investments including plans to gradually double lead production at the firm’s Komotini plant in Greece from the current 50,000 tonnes annually.

Among other topics covered included updates on the global lead market as well as in-depth briefings on Chinese and Asian markets in particular, The impact of regulatory requirements in Europe and the US were also discussed.

However, ILA veteran employee and conference mastermind Maura McDermott probably stole the entire show as she was awarded the International lead medal marking 35 years of service to the industry ahead of her retirement. See our People News pages in this edition.

Conference also heard that European Commission officials are not expected to take immediate action to push through proposals for lead metal to be listed on an expanded chemicals authorization register in the near future (see full story in our news pages).

With the first full day of presentations, networking and debate complete, there was food for thought at the official conference dinner at a port-side restaurant where the evening breeze tempered the heat while delegates enjoyed traditional fare and music.

Some were even brave enough to show their moves on the dancefloor (but it would be indiscreet to say here who, and how well, they swept across the floor).

Amid a plethora of competing forecasts for the lead battery market in North America and Europe, Asia looks set to be the place to be for at least the coming decade.

Huw Roberts, director at CHR Metals, told the conference: “I expect that lead demand in the region will grow annually over the next five years by 750,000 tonnes — that’s a not-inconsiderable number!”

Roberts warned that the “silent whispers of the lithium industry still posed a threat to the future of the lead battery business but he believes that innovation and cost advantage will continue to offer new opportunities for growth, especially in Asia.”

Industry consultant Geoffrey May said EV charging back-up points could prove to be a new application for lead battery tech, which he said made economic sense, particularly in terms of buffering availability.

And while the lithium ion battery market is set to increase further, he said lead could play a key role in the burgeoning ESS and renewables market, referring to advances including Advanced Battery Concepts’ new-tomarket Box-Be bipolar lead energy storage system.

Presentations underlining the industry’s commitment to sustainability and responsible manufacturing and recycling practices dominated the final full day.

The ILA’s seventh workplace lead exposure management workshop was held a day ahead of the conference proper, with more than 60 delegates in attendance.

Co-sponsored by EUROBAT, the workshop was designed to support companies achieving the associations’ target of no employee exceeding a blood lead value of 20µg Pb/dL (20 micrograms per decilitre) by the end of 2025.

Speakers included Lucy Michalska, ILA’s regulatory and scientific affairs officer, who said the organization’s voluntary blood lead reduction programme now includes 46 sites involved in primary lead production or recycling — an increase from 32 sites in 2013 when the initiative was launched.

Participants are spread around the world now involving firms in China and India as well as Europe and North America including some 7,000 employees.

At the end of 2022, the average employee blood lead measurement among ILA members was 11.85 micrograms per decilitre, compared to 17 in 2013.

Michalska said about 13% of workers in the programme still have a blood lead above the ILA’s voluntary target of 20 micrograms per decilitre, demonstrating why it is a challenge to achieve the proposed new regulatory standards being discussed in Europe without a transition period and/or special consideration for workers whose blood lead values exceed the limit because of past, historically higher exposures.

The workshop also heard direct from companies on their experiences in reducing lead exposures from EHS professionals representing Clarios, Glencore and the Polish metal producer KGHM. Delegates also received practical solutions-based advice from engineering specialists Engitec and exposure control equipment suppliers Gore and 3M.

IFBF

Prague, Czech Republic, June 27-29, 2023