Lead-calcium battery and recycling firm Nour Batteries has awarded STC SRL a contract for the supply of a complete used lead-acid battery recycling plant that will be installed in the former’s new factory in Tunis.
Tunisian company Nour will purchase battery breaking and separation plant from STC that will enable the firm to process more than 25,000 tonnes per year of lead-acid batteries.
The plant will include some of the most recent technology developments achieved by STC to allow Batteries Nour to meet regulations such as those adopted in EU.
An STC spokesman told BEST that, due to difficulties in the supply chain for certain types of goods, it was realistic to consider about 12/13 months before the complete plant enters in full production.
The company will only source scrap batteries from Nour, which will be collected mainly on local market by Nour through its existing collection network.
The recycled materials—lead and other by products— will be mainly reused for internal purposes to make new batteries and sold to north African market.
The plant is designed for the future expansion with the introduction of paste desulphurisation technology “U4Lead” patented by STC, that will produce highly desulphurised lead paste and ammonium sulphate as by product, which is easily saleable as fertiliser.
The plant consists of the following main units:
- Automatic scrap batteries feeding system
- Magnetic metals separation system
- Battery crushing system with STC hammer mill
- Components separation system
- Paste filtration with membrane squeezing fully automatic filterpress system
- Electrolyte collection and neutralization system
- General ventilation and gas scrubbing system
Lead battery buy out
In May, 2021, lead battery business Monbat bought a majority share holding of Nour Batteries for €10.3 million ($12.5 million).
A contract for the purchase of 720,000 shares (60% of all shares) was signed on 12 May, 2021 following a decision by the Bulgarian-based Monbat’s board of directors.
The deal was set to take place in two stages: the first was for 23% of the shares; the remaining 37% was due to be acquired and paid before 31 December, 2021.
Monbat said at the time it intended to “modernise the production” of Nour Batteries and expand the recycling plant’s capacity.
