THE 2024 EUROPEAN LEAD BATTERY CONFERENCE

Same as in previous years, once again Pb-S.AMERICA magazine was present at the European Lead Battery Conference that took place this year in Milan, Italy, and we bring to our readers an overview of what is the biggest event in lead batteries of the western world.

Same as in previous years, once again Pb-S.AMERICA magazine was present at the European Lead Battery Conference that took place this year in Milan, Italy, and we bring to our readers an overview of what is the biggest event in lead batteries of the western world.

The traditional opening cocktail party took place at the same venue as the rest of the event, the MiCo Congress Center in Milan, and attracted a large audience. In fact, attendance this year surpassed all previous ELBCs, with over a thousand participants, including exhibitors, speakers and visitors.

But even before the cocktail party, two extra sessions took place that Monday afternoon, only for those who had registered for one of the two: a Seminar on European Union Battery Regulation and another on Energy Storage.

On Tuesday, after the Conference officially opened, the first session dealt with Markets and Trends, with the traditional market forecasts and input prices. Lunch was held in the Exhibition Hall, followed by two parallel sessions, one on Key Innovations in Industry – Part 1, and the Suppliers Forum.

Meanwhile, the Exhibition remained open, with more than 100 stands, including that of our Pb-S.AMERICA Magazine, one of the event's media partners.

In the second half of the afternoon, one session was Part 2 of Key Innovations in the Industry and a Panel Discussion on Extending the Limits of the Lead Battery.

At the end of the afternoon, the WGBI Reception – Women in the Global Battery Industry (for its initials in English) took place.

This was also the evening when some companies welcomed their clients for dinner or cocktails, such as ENTEK, which organized a pleasant reception that we had the pleasure of attending.

On Wednesday, we had Part 2 of Market and Trends and, in the afternoon, Opportunities for Lead-Acid Batteries in Energy Storage Systems – Part 1, in parallel with On the Path to Robust Operation in PSOC (Partial State of Charge). After the coffee break, the afternoon continued with Innovations in Battery and Power Management in parallel with Part 2 of Opportunities for Lead-Acid Batteries in Energy Storage Systems. The afternoon was completed with the Discussion session on Ensuring that Lead-Acid Batteries Have a Role in Future ESS – Energy Storage Systems.

The day ended with the Gala Reception at the event venue itself, since, as explained by the organization at the opening of the event, it had not been possible to organize the Gala Dinner, which is an ELBC tradition, but which has been promised to return at ELBC 2026.

The event continued on Thursday morning, after the Exhibition had already closed, with successive presentations from 9 am to 1 pm:

• Automotive Product and Test Development

• Innovative Components for Lead Battery Systems

• Expanding the Reach of Lead Battery Technology

• Pushing the Limits of Science – What’s Next for Lead Batteries