CDC Battery Handling in the Off-Grid Solar Sector
The off-grid solar (OGS) sector in Africa is growing rapidly thanks to falling costs, combined with improvements in the energy efficiency of end-use technologies. A new World Bank Group and GOGLA report published in March 2020 shows that the OGS industry has grown into a $1.75 billion annual market, providing lighting and other energy services to 420 million users in Africa.
As the market grows, there is an increasing concern about the end-of-life management of off-grid energy products, particularly batteries. All battery types contain substances with potentially hazardous effects; Lead-acid batteries have the highest toxicity potential and they commonly find their way to recycling facilities even if the standard treatment in many countries is far from environmentally sound; Lithium-ion batteries have low toxicity but a low recycling value (except for those containing cobalt) and are therefore unattractive for local and global recycling markets. As a result, they are also likely to be disposed of in an uncontrolled manner.
This document aims to help local recyclers and companies handle used batteries in a safe and controlled manner. It serves as a blueprinting for the development of local collection and treatment solutions and covers the following topics:
- Storage of batteries
- Handling and disassembly
- Firefighting procedures and good practices
- Transport of used batteries, which trigger requirements related to packaging, waste classification and labelling, as well as training for staff.
Sofies (now part of dss+) developed this document with technical input from Marco Ottaviani, in the wider context of a CDC Group project in Kenya. Many thanks to Veronica Di Bella and Nomsa Fulbrook-Bhembe for their support and review.