STC, part of Monbat Economic Group, to successfully launch a complete lead-acid battery recycling plant in Nigeria

STC, the engineering and contracting company, part of Monbat Economic Group, has almost finished one of its important projects, commissioned by the Nigerian company Green Recycling Industries Ltd.

STC has implemented the design, construction and supply of a complete lead-acid battery recycling plant composed of a breaking and separation area, lead paste super desulphurization, double effect evaporator to concentrate ammonium sulphate solution in order to obtain a usable liquid fertilizer, and a final lead smelting and refining area inclusive of a lead ingots casting machine and an air pollution control system. The plant has an inlet exhausted battery capacity of up to 5 tons/h and it is currently under the final commissioning stage.

The installed technology could be considered one of the most innovative and environmentally friendly Used Lead Acid Batteries recycling plants currently installed anywhere in the world, thanks to the application of the new revolutionary U4Lead® process, which was just recently patented by STC. This process is based on a desulphurization reaction carried out by means of a specific amino compound which leads to remarkably high desulphurization yields and a residual sulphur content below 0,3%. The ammonium sulphate solution resulting from the process can be used as fertilizer in liquid form after a purification and concentration process., says Alberto Bergamaschini, Commercial Director of STC.

Another noteworthy characteristic of the plant is the new STC Tilting Rotary Furnace, which is employed for the smelting operations of the clean coarse metallic fraction. The resulting molten lead obtained is directly transferred through a channel to the refining kettles for final lead ingots production.

The second part of the project is already in progress: STC has additionally completed the design and construction of a new Rotary Furnace for lead paste smelting operations, equipped with an oxyfuel burner, process fumes extraction, and a full air pollution control system.

Thanks to the innovative STC’s U4Lead® desulphurization process, the furnace will work with almost completely desulphurized material with a consequent reduction of sulphur emissions such as SO2 – below 50 mg/m3 – in the fumes released from the chimney, says Giorgio La Sala, STC’s CEO.

The installation of this unit is due to be completed by the end of July 2020, while final start-up of the whole plant is expected by the end of August.

The CEO of Green Recycling Industries Ltd. explains further about the partnership: We are very satisfied with the cooperation with STC: the quality of the equipment, which is strong and robust, is according to our expectations. The technical assistance provided by STC’s team is very professional and has been helpful and supportive since the beginning of the project.