Clarios secures low-carbon lead supply deal with Boliden

Clarios, the global leader in low-voltage battery solutions and owner of the VARTA Automotive brand, has entered into a supply agreement with Swedish mining and metals company Boliden. The deal ensures the supply of low-carbon lead for Clarios’ battery manufacturing plants across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

Boliden’s lead is processed from mined ore in highly energy-efficient Nordic facilities primarily powered by fossil-free energy. This production method results in a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of less than 1kg CO₂ per kg of lead, which is nearly half the emissions of the European average for primary lead smelters (1.82kg CO₂/kg Pb).

While Clarios utilizes a large-scale closed-loop recycling network that processes over 8,000 batteries per hour—accounting for more than 75% of its lead use in EMEA—the partnership with Boliden is intended to provide sustainable primary lead to meet remaining demand and help customers reduce Scope 3 emissions.