The former head of the International Lead Association was named the recipient of this year’s International Lead Award during the biennial ELBC conference.
David Wilson was recognised by a panel of his peers for his contribution to the lead and lead battery industry with the award during the conference in Malta.
The award is presented to people who have made a significant contribution to science and practice in areas such as lead production and recycling, lead alloy development, or battery design and performance.
Presenting the award, Dick Amistadi said Wilson had played a significant role in ensuring the continuation of the industry and the benefits it brings in the past 40 years.
Wilson said during his acceptance speech: “When I joined the industry total lead use amounted to about 3.5million tonnes a year and was in a wide range of uses.
“At the time 40% was used in lead-acid batteries and as we have heard, this market has grown to 10tonnes and is still growing.
“A lot of the previous uses of lead have disappeared over the years, some because of legislation, but it’s the lead-acid battery that has survived and become the most important for the industry.
“Yes, there are challenges from other chemistries, but I hope the warnings that the end of the lead battery is approaching is premature.”
Wilson joined the Lead Development Association (LDA)— later changed to the ILA– in 1976 to work mainly on the environmental aspects of lead and was appointed director of the LDA in 1990.
It was under Wilson’s leadership in 2004 that formal ties were established with the International Lead Zinc Research Organization and the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium.
That same year Wilson was made a MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for his services to the lead industry.
Picture: David Wilson (right) receives his award from Dick Amistadi
