Plans to establish a recycling facility in Kenya to prevent the illegal dismantling of lead batteries are moving forward thanks to Betrilyf Solutions, a subsidiary of civil construction firm Avcon Contractors.
The facility at Athi River Township will ‘regenerate’ old batteries with the addition of ‘additives’ before being sold as second-hand at a cost of up to 50% less than new batteries.
Betrilyf says it will add an Israel-patented additive to the batteries to regenerate the cells and make the battery function like a new one using a “state of art technology that makes use of a 100% organic polymer additive which is presented in form of a dry capsule or a liquid supplement formula”.
It’s expected the source of the batteries will be the area’s data centres, power and energy companies, fleet and logistics companies, and industrial applications.
Lead batteries will be taken to the facility where they will be visually inspected, cleaned and tested for condition, the additive is then used and the batteries are recharged.
Betrilyf says the whole process will be a closed cycle to reduce risk of waste and emissions.
Liquid waste will be managed through an existing system, with solid waste collected and segregated to be either be re-used or sold. A Betrilyf assessment study report noted: “The proposed project does not intend to open up batteries to recover and recycle lead, but uses a technology where by an additive is added to regenerate the battery cells to an almost new status, offering similar warranties to new batteries.
“The process is fully automated, and batteries are only handled manually during inspection and cleaning. Possible spillages at this stage will be captured for recycling purposes.
“The remaining processes are fully automated and operate in a closed cycle with zero waste expected. However, an elaborate emergency management plan will be put in place to handle any contingencies that may occur.”
Betrilyf is awaiting the conclusion of a 30-day public participation window where the National Environmental Management Agency (Nema) will make its decision on whether to approve or reject the project.
A report from Business Daily Africa stated battery manufacturers had pointed to a shortage of raw materials for their factories because used lead-acid batteries were being sent to Uganda and Tanzania where lead was recovered and exported to the Far East.
