1.Product Description: This project idea is about rehabilitation of old batteries by replacing old or damaged component in order to use the batteries are made of different components and parts. Some parts have to be replaced after a certain period of use, others have to be modified or maintained. The process of rehabilitating used batteries is also called reprocessing of waste batteries.
2. Market Potential: Practically all the cart batteries used in the country are imported. With the lifting of import restriction and foreign exchange control, import of car batteries to the country has increased substantially during the last 15 years. At the same time, disposal of waste batteries in the county has also increased. Though not recognized at present, throwing away old batteries causes serious environmental problems. Hence every means should be employed to reprocess waste batteries and reuse them.
It is difficult to estimate the number of waste batteries thrown away in the Amhara Region. Probably it is in the thousands. No one knows how much environmental damage this has caused in the Region. To reduce the damage to the environment in the Region (which is already in a very precarious position due to deforestation and soil erosion) and to maximize the use of batteries, the establishment of a waste battery reprocessing plant is necessary. Given the growing number of old batteries being disposed in the region, the reprocessing plant could be a financially variable plant.
3.Sources of raw Material: Different types of chemicals, plastic and metal parts are needed to reprocess waste batteries. These inputs will be imported.
4. Process and Technology: The main processes for reprocessing waste batteries include dismantling the waste battery, examining each component and part, determining which part to replace, and fixing new parts or components and reassembling the reprocessed battery
5.Estimated Investment: For a plant which will reprocess about 5000 waste batteries per year, the estimated investment will be:
§ Building/shade 250 m2 at 2000/m2 = Birr 500,000
§ Machinery .................................. = Birr 300,000
§ Working Capital ........................... = Birr 300,000
Total ... = Birr 1,100,000
6. Benefits: Saves foreign exchange, contributes to the protection of the environment, saves regional financial resources.
7.Location: Bahir Dar