Neil Hawkes
Bio
Neil is part of CRU’s base and battery metals team and has been responsible for CRU’s lead market analysis for 35 years and is a regular speaker at conferences. Since its creation in 1969, CRU has been offering unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events.
Lead prices have mostly tracked a steadier path than other base and battery metals, reflecting the importance of its long established ‘closed loop’ system of resilient replacement battery demand and recycling of scrap.
Against a background of heightened geopolitical tensions, market participants have been concerned over the broader global economic slowdown and stubborn inflation bearing down on metals demand and prices in the near-term. However, discussions rarely exclude some aspect of the global ‘green’ energy transition (GET) away from fossil fuels towards renewable power. This used to revolve mainly around the greater vehicle electrification path, but the scope now encompasses the wider energy storage story, including solar panels, wind turbines and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for residential as well as industrial use. There is also more debate around the readiness of transmission networks to power this ‘green’ revolution. This presentation will address how lead might yet surprise in playing a bigger role than expected alongside other battery raw materials and the implications for prices.
