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Why Lead Matters
Only one metal underpinning Europe’s green energy transition is fully sustainable, offering limitless supply through circularity. Made, used and recycled in Europe, lead metal is critical to products from advanced batteries to aerospace safety systems, and from wind farm cables to recycling other critical metals. It’s one of Europe’s success stories and an important foundation for the EU’s industrial strength and global competitiveness.
The lead and lead battery value chain supports more than 184,000 direct and downstream jobs across Europe. All lead batteries collected in Europe are fully recycled and the materials re-used to manufacture new advanced lead batteries.
Lead’s unique radiation shielding properties protect workers in hospitals, dental surgeries, laboratories and nuclear installations.
Lead is the strategic material that connects Europe’s metals ecosystem. Its special properties make the recycling other metals more effective and efficient, supporting an industrial sector worth €120 billion annually.
Lead’s unique properties support a wide range of low-carbon technologies which are vital to delivering the European Green Deal’s low carbon objectives.
Lead batteries are an essential onboard component in start-stop, mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), and they can also be installed in EV charging stations to improve efficiency – a key enabler in the transition to an energy-efficient, decarbonised transport sector.
From aviation to healthcare, the wide range of sectors supported by essential uses of lead are significant contributors to employment creation and economic growth.
With its new Circular Economy strategy, the EU’s ability to efficiently recycle metals is becoming increasingly important. Metals are eminently recyclable and the EU’s home-grown metals recycling industry is one of the most advanced and efficient in the world – and lead has a pivotal role within it.
Lead enables energy-efficient precision engineering of intricate metal articles in high-production markets. From nuts and bolts, locks and keys to engine components, lead reduces friction during high-performance machining of steel, brass, and aluminium alloys.
Lead’s unique properties support a wide range of low-carbon technologies which are vital to delivering the European Green Deal’s low carbon objectives.
Lead batteries are an essential onboard component in start-stop, mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), and they can also be installed in EV charging stations to improve efficiency – a key enabler in the transition to an energy-efficient, decarbonised transport sector.
From aviation to healthcare, the wide range of sectors supported by essential uses of lead are significant contributors to employment creation and economic growth.
With its new Circular Economy strategy, the EU’s ability to efficiently recycle metals is becoming increasingly important. Metals are eminently recyclable and the EU’s home-grown metals recycling industry is one of the most advanced and efficient in the world – and lead has a pivotal role within it.
Lead enables energy-efficient precision engineering of intricate metal articles in high-production markets. From nuts and bolts, locks and keys to engine components, lead reduces friction during high-performance machining of steel, brass, and aluminium alloys.
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