lead-acid batteries

CBI puts world’s lead energy storage projects on the map

More than 120 lead battery-powered energy storage projects worldwide have been highlighted in a new online map by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI).

The map, featured on the CBI’s web site, includes diverse case studies demonstrating successful lead battery energy storage installations from the US, to Asia and Europe.

CBI director Dr Alistair Davidson said: “We are seeing growing interest in lead battery energy storage for utility and renewables systems all over the world. The aim of this initiative is to highlight some of these installations and encourage companies to share other examples we can highlight demonstrating the variety of projects currently in place.”

lead-acid batteries

lead mining

Battery minerals

Consortium for Battery Innovation

Indian Oil ‘in lead-acid tech talks with battery makers’

Technology developed by India’s state-owned Indian Oil Corporation to “increase the lifetime” of lead-acid batteries could be licensed to battery makers, the corporation’s director of research and development has revealed.

“We have developed a new nano material, which when used in a lead-acid battery in fixed proportion, increases the life of the battery by 30% and cuts charging time by 40%,” SSV Ramakumar said.

Ramakumar told The Economic Times of India the corporation is “now exploring ways to take (the technology) to market”, “All options are open to us. We can set up our own manufacturing or we can join hands with some leading battery manufacturer in the country.”

India

Indian Oil Corporation

lead-acid batteries

battery R&D

Daimler takes NorthStar partnership to next level

Swedish-American battery manufacturer NorthStar has agreed a deal to supply Daimler with wireless battery monitoring systems for the Pure Lead AGM batteries it supplies to the auto giant.

Germany’s Daimler— parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and the largest truck manufacturer in the world— will install a tailored version of NorthStar’s ACE battery monitoring systems (named AGM Truck Test) at all of its service centres in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

NorthStar’s ACE wireless battery monitoring systems was launched for the telecom segment in 2017, and subsequently for the transportation segment in 2018. The AGM Truck Test tracks the battery’s performance throughout its service life, and ensures batteries are only replaced when they reach the end of their reliable life.

battery management systems

europe

alabc

Argonne National Laboratory

ILA calls for new EU strategy on batteries

Europe has been urged to develop a new industrial strategy to “champion” all batteries, including lead-acid.

The managing director of the International Lead Association (ILA), Dr Andy Bush (pictured), said the creation of a Batteries Alliance and a ‘batteries action plan’ for the EU, has been “one of the successes of the European Commission”.

However, Bush said it was a “weakness” for EU policymakers to “focus predominantly on one battery technology, omitting to support Europe’s existing strengths in this area and the jobs it generates in our societies”.

International Lead Association (ILA)

Scientists warn EU against restrictions on lead

Top EU scientists have warned that proposals to restrict the use of lead in the EU risk jeopardising the bloc’s plans to expand energy storage and clean technologies.

The scientists have criticised “ill-judged” attempts to clamp down on lead, after industry leaders said thousands of battery jobs risked being axed in Europe and ‘exported’ to competitors if the European Commission backed moves for an in-effect ban on the use of four lead compounds.

BEST Battery Briefing understands the Commission is advising EU states against adding lead monoxide, lead tetroxide, pentalead tetraoxide sulfate and tetralead trioxide sulfate to Europe’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) authorisation list.

Bullish Aqua Metals set for lead production boost

US lead-acid battery recycler Aqua Metals has told shareholders the company is on course for an estimated 25% increase in lead metal production after completing the first phase of a capital programme.

The company said the production increase would come from its first full production run of lead bullion from a newly commissioned third kettle— used to process the hard lead from the batteries it breaks.

A new filter press has also been installed and started up and a new centrifuge has been installed, Aqua Metals confirmed on 28 March.

Leoch sets sights on Europe as new Asian battery plants start up

Leoch International Technology is to bring two new lead-acid battery plants on stream this year in Vietnam— and has revealed plans to expand in Europe including through acquisitions.

The Hong Kong-listed firm said one of its Vietnam plants will start delivering reserve power batteries by mid-2019, while the other will be delivering SLI batteries by the end of the third quarter.

Construction of both plants is “in full gear”, Leoch said in a Hong Kong Stock Exchange announcement. “The design production capacity of these two factories will be more than double the current total overseas production capacity with opportunity for future expansion.”

Leoch International Technology

Metair boosts profit on back of strong battery operations

South Africa-based automotive and energy storage group Metair Investments has posted increased operating profit for 2018— boosted by its lead-acid operations in Turkey and Romania.

Metair said group operating profit for the year ended 31 December 2018 increased by 19% to just over ZAR1 billion (US$69 million) compared to the previous year. Revenue for 2018 was ZAR10.28bn, an increase of 8% compared to 2017.

Group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased 9.4% to ZAR1.33bn.

lithium batteries

lithium-ion batteries

battery manufacturing

profit reports

Monbat eyes expansion to make bipolar batteries in Bulgaria

Bulgarian lead-acid company Monbat has confirmed proposals for a major expansion of its manufacturing operations in the country to produce bipolar batteries under licence from US-based Advanced Battery Concepts (ABC).

Monbat’s licensing deal for ABC’s GreenSeal bipolar lead technology was announced earlier this year— but neither company would say where the batteries might be made.

However, BEST Battery Briefing has now confirmed Monbat has taken the first steps towards building a 2.4 gigawatt-hour plant in Vratsa, Bulgaria, especially for the production of bipolar batteries.

Advanced Battery Concepts (ABC)

‘Reprieve in sight’ for lead-acid as proposed EU ban shelved

Lead battery makers are poised to win a reprieve from European proposals that threatened to kill off the industry by imposing an in-effect ban on the use of four lead compounds, BEST Battery Briefing has learned.

Industry leaders had warned thousands of battery jobs risked being axed in Europe and ‘exported’ to competitors if the European Commission moved to add the compounds— all of which are “irreplaceable in lead battery production”— to the EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) authorisation list.

However, the Brussels-based Association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers— Eurobat— has told BBB it understands the Commission is not now recommending the inclusion of lead monoxide, lead tetroxide, pentalead tetraoxide sulfate and tetralead trioxide sulfate on the REACH list.

battery regulation. European Chemicals Agency