Demand for battery energy storage is set to jump ten times in Europe by 2050

That’s not my prediction. A senior official from the European Commission referred to the expected huge growth in demand for energy storage recently while I was last in Brussels.

Widespread electrification and the consequent growth in battery energy storage is high on the list of must-haves for many of the countries where our Consortium members are based, as administrations strive to achieve stretching carbon reduction targets.

Our new research and innovation program is designed to meet the growing expectations for high performance batteries in new storage projects. For lead batteries for energy storage applications, that means achieving greater cycle life. Whereas in automotive applications, the program is looking to achieve even better dynamic charge acceptance – the ability of a battery to store energy from regenerative breaking in micro-hybrid applications.

This is all part of a new research program our members are supporting. And one of our priorities as a Consortium is to highlight the many different examples of where advanced lead batteries are delivering high quality, safe and cost-effective battery energy storage - from Tibet to Missouri, and from Africa to the remote Shetland Islands. You can see some of the case studies here.

For Consortium members the over-riding aim is to conduct research which will deliver that next big leap in battery performance to support the growth in demand for battery energy storage. Lead battery technology has stood the test of time. We’re ushering in a new era of advanced lead batteries designed to meet the toughest standards and performance requirements – with the added benefit that this is a technology that is fully sustainable, where every part can be recycled and re-used-in Europe and North America over 99% of lead batteries are collected and recycled at end of life. Modern lead batteries are ready to meet the challenges of a new age, supporting a low carbon world through advanced and reliable technology.