ACE Green Recycling (ACE) has signed a USD12 million equipment supply and licensing deal spanning 10 years with India’s Pondy Oxides & Chemicals Ltd (BSE: 532626) to set up the world’s largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-free battery recycling facility in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India. The green technology start-up will license its proprietary zero-emission lead battery recycling technology to India’s leading lead battery recycling company to recycle 40,000 tons of batteries which translates to around USD60 million every year.
Traditionally, lead-acid battery recycling is via the smelting process, which involves operating temperatures of more than 1,000oC producing significant GHG emissions. Compared to smelting, ACE’s recycling technology operates at room temperature, runs using electricity, produces zero GHG, releases oxygen into the air, and minimizes solid waste by more than 80%. The only process where ACE’s technology needs any external heat is during the final melting to make lead ingots. ACE has also developed solar-powered electric kettles to avoid the usage of any fossil fuel.
This technology will reduce the carbon footprint on a global scale as POCL exports their products to international customers in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Middle East, the US and Europe. The lead-acid battery is a key element in the automotive industry while also playing a crucial role in the renewable power storage and telecommunications industry.
ACE’s technology deployment at POCL is expected to start operations in Q4 of 2022 and will be scaled up in phases. Over ten years, the 30,000sqm facility is projected to recycle more than 28 million lead-acid batteries, prevent the emission of 500 million kg of GHG, prevent 40 million kg of solid waste from going into landfills, produce 17 million kg of oxygen enough for 55,000 people, recycle 28 million kg of plastic, and provide green jobs for the community. Longer-term, POCL plans to utilize solar power for the facility, thereby also reducing its Scope 2 GHG emissions.
ACE aims to be an industry leader in the next five years and has so far raised USD10 million with the latest funding round led by Circulate Capital. The company is expanding its team from 30 to 50 people, split between their three offices in India, the US, and Singapore.
Courtesy of ACE Green Recycling.