Betrilyf Solutions is setting up a new plant in Kenya to recycle used lead-acid batteries into new ones and sell them at half the price of a new battery.
According to local media reports, the plant was conceived to discourage the illegal and environmentally harmful dismantling of lead batteries rampant in the country. Once operational, the plant will recycle 300 batteries over a five-day period and will have the option to scale up this volume.
At the new plant, Betrilyf, which is a subsidiary of the Kenyan company Avcon Contractors Ltd, will use an organic polymer additive that is approved under the British Standards Institution (BSI), an environmental assessment report on the plant indicated. Moreover, the usage of the additive will enable production of new batteries from old ones, at 40-50pc cost.
The report noted that the plant would use a closed-loop system that does not require opening up the battery to recover and recycle the contained lead. The plant being set up in the Athi River Township in Kenya will receive scrap batteries from the surrounding power and energy companies, data centers, and other industries for recycling.
The plant’s construction will begin next month, after Betrilyf receives the appropriate government licenses and environmental clearance, media reports said.