Birmingham-based Aceleron, a developer of sustainable and reusable battery solutions, and Total Access to Energy Solutions (TATES), part of global energy company Total, have unveiled a new partnership to expand clean energy accessibility and tackle unsustainable battery waste in Kenya by repurposing old battery packs.

The first stage of this unique project will see Aceleron convert waste lithium-ion battery cells into repairable, upgradable and affordable long-cycle reusable battery packs to bring cleaner power to more than 800 people in off-grid communities across Kenya and the surrounding area including Benin, Rwanda and Libya.

TATES will provide lithium-ion waste material from its solar lanterns scheme – a project providing light to Kenyans without electricity access and with low incomes. It will also use its network to encourage other companies to contribute their battery waste to the project.

Aceleron’s founder and CEO Dr Amrit Chandan explains: “Sustainability is about more than just emissions; it’s about improving people’s lives. Our circular-economy approach delivers lithium-ion batteries that work better, last longer and are cheaper. We are making clean power an option for off-grid Kenyans, making a real impact to their lives by giving access to clean electricity while also reducing carbon emissions.”

A major motivation is to make batteries more sustainable and tackle the growing mountain of battery waste in Kenya and across the world. Less than 5 per cent of lithium-ion batteries are recycled and the world is expected to generate two million tonnes of waste batteries every year by 2030.

Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta has committed the country to be entirely powered by renewable energy by 2020 and more than 70 per cent of electricity is already delivered by renewable sources.

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