Contact: Christi Dixon
(314) 469-3500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOE RUN LEADERS SHARE GLOBAL METALS OUTLOOK
WITH BATTERY COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL
Demand for high-tech and replacement batteries grow;
Industry prepares for increased regulations
ST. LOUIS (May 27, 2009) – Three
Doe Run executives recently shared their unique global metals expertise with attendees at the
Battery Council International’s (BCI) 121st Convention and Power Mart Trade Show. Doe Run is the nation’s only integrated lead producer and a true lead lifecycle manager, recycling and producing the key ingredient in traditional lead-acid batteries and hybrid lead-acid battery systems for emerging hybrid vehicles.
“As we balance the need to manage resources wisely, yet fulfill increasing demand for a variety of emerging technologies, Doe Run’s recycling efforts serve a vital link in the future battery supply chain,” BCI Executive Vice President Maurice A. Desmarais said. “Doe Run helped us look at the global metals market in light of various industry changes, and understand how we can collectively work together with regulators to navigate complex environmental challenges.”
Jose Hansen, Doe Run’s vice president of sales and marketing, Lou Magdits, director of raw materials, and Dan Vornberg, vice president of environmental affairs, talked with conference attendees about key trends shaping the industry on a national and international scale.
Hansen kicked off Doe Run’s contributions to the conference by sharing an overview of the industry’s current supply and demand. “Over the last 50 years, lead production and consumption has trended upward, even though end-use markets have changed over time,” Hansen said. “The demand is primarily influenced by China, the largest consumer of lead, and the fastest-growing economy, which affects the world’s marketplace. As these areas continue to develop, the infrastructure being built depends on applications that require lead-acid batteries.”
“Replacement batteries for vehicles are keeping lead demand steady in most parts of the world. Meanwhile, old batteries are being replaced, regardless of economic conditions,” Hansen added. “Looking into the future, high-tech batteries for hybrid vehicles, anti-idling systems for commercial vehicles and innovative storage for renewable energy will drive the market.”
-more-
Doe Run speaks at BCI conference, page 2
Currently, lead-acid batteries use some three-quarters of the world’s lead. In addition, lead-acid batteries are recycled more than any other consumer product. Each year, Doe Run’s Buick Resource Recycling Division converts approximately 13.5 million lead-acid batteries back into raw materials for new battery production.
From a raw materials perspective, Magdits addressed the domestic factors impacting the industry. “While demand grows, new environmental regulations will challenge the domestic supply of lead,” Magdits said. “The U.S. has dramatically reduced the allowable air emissions for lead, a reduction of 90 percent from previous levels. As the chief provider of this critical resource, we’ve tried to manage implications for the industry by working alongside regulators to make the appropriate improvements.”
In 2008, Doe Run completed the implementation of one of its most complex environmental improvement plans to date, retrofitting its smelting operations to meet air quality standards for lead. The entire plan took two years to complete at a cost of more than $8 million. Discussions and emissions tracking continue as more stringent regulations are enacted.
“For more than 140 years, Doe Run and its predecessors have helped supply the world’s need for lead,” said Vornberg, who oversees the company’s environmental compliance and planning efforts, including the plan completed in 2008. “We are stewards of a vital natural resource, and practicing environmental stewardship means that we’re both maintaining our operations and minimizing the impact from an environmental standpoint. Continuous analysis of information allows us to stay ahead of trends that may impact our business in the future. For the industry-at-large, an environmental task management system can help better position facilities, and then move them beyond regulations and towards sustainable environmental systems.”
In his closing remarks, Hansen summarized, “We see a balanced world market for lead in 2009, with production matching consumption. The near-term may be challenging, but the long-term outlook remains favorable for the lead industry and for our biggest customer, the battery industry, which is critical to modern civilization. Doe Run is focused on being nimble, serving as a dependable supplier to our customers and continuing innovation that keeps our company and our industry sustainable into the future.”
Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company and the largest integrated lead producer in the Western Hemisphere. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates one of the world’s largest, single-site lead recycling facilities, located in Boss, Mo. The Doe Run Company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services necessary to provide power, protection and convenience. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit
www.doerun.com.
# # #