ACE Green Recycling (ACE) has announced plans to build and operate North America’s largest emission-free and sustainable green battery recycling park in Texas.
The 400,000 square foot facility will be able to recycle both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries when fully operational. These batteries are critical elements in the automotive, power storage, and telecommunications industries as well as in portable devices, such as mobile phones and laptops.
When will construction commence on this green battery recycling park?
The facility is expected to start its phase one of operations in the third quarter of 2023, starting with recycling lead-acid batteries using ACE’s proprietary emission-free battery recycling technology and a lithium-ion battery recycling facility. When operating at total capacity, ACE anticipates that the facility will process and recycle up to 100,000 metric tons of used lead-acid batteries and 20,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion batteries annually by 2025.
What is involved in the battery recycling process?
Battery recycling is typically conducted by utilising the smelting process, which involves operating at excessively high temperatures – often more than 1,000°C – with the burning of expensive and polluting fossil fuels. From this, a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) are also produced, which exposes workers to hazardous working conditions.
Compared to smelting, ACE’s proprietary technologies for both lead-acid and lithium-ion battery recycling are fully electrified with zero carbon emissions and provide higher battery material yields while providing a safer workplace environment. ACE is also exploring opportunities for operating most of its vital plant activities with solar energy to reduce the facility’s scope 2 emissions.
Why did ACE decide on Texas for the location of this facility?
ACE decided to construct its new facility in Texas due to the growing population and easy access to an abundance of spent batteries from automobiles and other industrial sources.
As a result of the lack of sufficient recycling capacity, the US is currently exporting a large volume of its scrap batteries to Mexico and Asia. It is then simultaneously importing battery materials back to make new batteries, leading to a significant value loss. By establishing a large operation in Texas, ACE intends to reduce America’s dependence on imports of battery materials and batteries from foreign suppliers, which are often subject to adverse global supply chain issues.
“Texas sits at the heart of the world’s global energy revolution with key access to an abundant pool of top engineering and technical talent. ACE’s new facility aims to be part of that revolution and build a greener, more sustainable future for America,” explained Nishchay Chadha, ACE’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
How will this sustainable future be achieved?
ACE’s Texas lead-acid recycling facility will be conducted in phases. When fully operational, it is projected to recycle more than five million lead-acid batteries, prevent more than 50,000 metric tons of GHG emissions, reduce landfill dumping of more than £10m of hazardous solid waste, and recycle more than £15m of plastics annually.
Additionally, the facility will generate approximately 100 direct and indirect well-paying American jobs for the local economy.
The green technology solutions start-up will utilise its funds and collaborate with several strategic and financial investors to set up the envisioned Texas battery recycling park. “We are excited to establish our first North American facility in the state of Texas that will not only generate significant local economic activity but also contribute to a greener environmental footprint,” said Dr Vipin Tyagi, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of ACE.
“By contributing to America’s battery recycling capabilities, we also aim to strengthen the country’s energy independence and build a more resilient future for the nation.”
ACE has already deployed its technology commercially and most recently announced a deal with Pondy Oxides & Chemicals Ltd (BSE: 532626), a leading recycler in India, and is set to announce new facilities in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East by early 2023.
ACE intends to announce more details about its lithium-ion battery recycling operations in the upcoming months.
