Monbat AD expands its recycling and engineering portfolio by italian company STC S.R.L.

Monbat AD, as one of the leading European batteries’ producers, announces the acquisition of STC “Science Technology & Consulting” – an Italian high-tech engineering company that offers services and technical solutions in: chemistry, electrochemistry, environment protection and  hydrometallurgy. The company boasts a high-level profile of engineers researchers and technicians specialized in different engineering fields such as chemical, process, automation, mechanical etc.

Regarding this the Board of Directors of Monbat has approved a decision “Monbat” AD to  purchase  66.66 %  of the capital of STC S.r.l.

The acquisition will expand Monbat Economic Group’s portfolio of processing used batteries in Western Europe and is part of the group’s strategy for vertical integration and geographical diversification. With STC as part of its group, Monbat will strengthen its sustainable production strategy also with the introduction of new services as electrolyte recovery, heavy and light plastics separation and recycling, hydrometallurgical conversion of lead paste in lead oxide, ultrapure lead oxide production and ultrapure lead oxide reduction at low temperatures, used in new battery production and many other technologies owned by the company.

“The acquisition of STC expands Monbat’s recycling expertise and solution implementation. This acquisition opens innovative horizons for Monbat and wider opportunities for future sustainability”, comments Atanas Bobokov, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Monbat AD.

“We are pleased to become a part of Monbat’s economic group. This opportunity is giving us the support needed to develop further and faster innovative solutions and to improve the offering technology in the lead industry to grow on an international level”, comments Giorgio La Sala, founding member and CEO of STC.

About STC

STC was founded in 2001 as a spin-off of a scientific and technological park by a group of young engineers guided by Prof. Renato Guerriero who passed away a few months ago, one of the major Italian experts in the field of chemistry, physics, innovative materials and metallurgy of non-ferrous metal, and intellectual owner of more than 100 patents. The intention was to create a service company of technology transfer for industrial innovation and development.

Nowadays, STC carries out Research & Development activities, design and construction of both pilot and industrial machinery and high-quality turnkey solutions thanks to a wide range of traditional and advanced technologies and processes. Its production is composed of more than 50 pilot and industrial machineries in addition to about 20 innovative processes, some of which are protected by the following National and European Patents: lead oxide regeneration process, gas purification procedure from hydrogen sulphide, the production of lead hydrate or monoxide of high purity from lead sulphates, monoxides and/or other compounds. Furthermore, over the last few months, STC presented two patent-pending applications regarding the desulphurization reaction by means of an amine compound on an Italian and European level.

STC is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company which makes use of several kinds of advanced drawing software for CAD process simulation and mechanical 3D drawings. In its workshop, all workers are specialized in welding and equipped with FGAS license and also several specific operations are implemented for the construction of pressurized plants and equipment (PED Certification).

In the specific field of used lead-acid battery recycling, over the years STC has been implementing high-quality breaking and separation solutions in lead paste desulphurization and crystallization units and lead smelting and refining technologies.

STC also has many years of experience in the management of research and industrial development projects and used to be the Leading Coordinator of high-profile research projects, financed by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) and Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). Its Research Laboratory has been included in the Register of the Ministry of University and Research of National Qualified Research Laboratories. The main ones include:

• Innovative processes for high environmental reliability in the industrial recovery cycles and used lead-acid batteries recycling;
• A new sustainable process within reduced operating risks for the recovery and the recycling of used lead batteries;
• High-Quality fresh fruits and vegetables: New Technologies for Quality and New Products.
• Development of innovative technologies for the widespread generation of solar power;
• Innovative technologies for the realization of a new energy-saving process within a low environmental impact on used lead battery recycling;
• Development of new microwave technology for the stabilization of high-quality ready – to – cook meals;

As a result, thanks to the entrusted and renowned STC team expertise, Monbat AD will increase its engineering research and development activities and its competitiveness on the reference markets.

About Monbat Group

As a leading European battery manufacturer, Monbat Economic Group operates in two main business segments – lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion high-power cells and systems. Presented in over 65 countries through over 20 different applications and industries, Monbat is a dynamically developing group, focused on sustainable development – of business, environment, human capital, and good ideas.

The lead-acid business is a vertically integrated business model with operating production and recycling facilities in Bulgaria (Monbat AD and Start AD) and recycling plants in Romania, Serbia and Italy. This structure insulates the group from raw material price volatility and enables it to achieve higher operating margins compared to peers.

The lithium-Ion business under the brand EAS Batteries, based in Germany, is a new market presence in the high-power battery systems’ solutions, based on safe and proven LFP cell chemistry. This technology can address many niche high power applications and meet the very high requirements for reliability and safety, which many applications demand in areas such as aerospace, defence, marine and public transportation. In June 2019 the division revealed EASy Marine – a new hybrid module tailor-made for boats and ships.

Monbat Recycling came about when a business realignment shaped the recycling division into а separate structure. Enabling a very efficient vertical integration in the lead-acid business segment, the Recycling has turned into an innovative provider of Lead and Lead Alloys as well as Regranulated Polypropylene. The division has facilities in Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania and Italy with total capacity amounting to 158 000 tonnes of used lead-acid batteries per annum.

In 2019 Monbat Group celebrates two important anniversaries – 20 years since the group was established and 60 years since the lead batteries production started in Montana, Bulgaria – both combined under the slogan “Charging the Future”.