This series is based on our exclusive interviews at the ISLC and ABC, international conferences on lead-acid batteries and recycling held in Siem Reap, Cambodia from the 3rd to the 8th of September. This report #5 introduces an Indian recycled lead company, a trader from China and a female-only gathering inaugurated at the ABC.

 

SPI

 

SPI is one of the sponsoring companies for the 20th ABC. 

The company produces 2,500 tonnes of recycled lead per month in Bangalore, India, with the annual combined production capacity for their two plants at 50,000 tonnes.

They can produce electrolytic lead from 3N7 to 4N, as well as various lead alloys and lead oxide.

Lead battery scrap, the raw material they utilise, is all imported as India permits the import.

The main countries comprising the sources of this import include Dubai, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

Recycled lead is mainly sold to the Indian domestic market. When exporting overseas, they are sold through trading companies such as Trafigura. It appears that they had no history yet to export to Japan.

 

 

Zhejiang Hailiang Co.

 

The company is one of the largest nonferrous metal traders in China, as well as a wire rod manufacturer. Mr. Eugene Chan, whom we interviewed this time, has a global background; born in Cambodia, grew up in China, and studied in London. In addition to English, Chinese and Cambodian languages, he is fluent even in Japanese. He told us that he has studied Japanese by watching Japanese TV comedy shows (he is a huge fan of a famous Japanese comedian called Hitoshi Matsumoto by the way). Business relationships with Japanese companies are also a reason for his motivation towards the Japanese language, and he sometimes visits Japan, eating ramen noodles too. He is well-informed about the movement of the lead-zinc market, as he had been working for Trafigura before he moved to Hailiang, 

 

(L: Mr. Eugene Chan, age 36)

 

Hailiang purchases 250,000 tonnes of copper scrap annually. They also import aluminum scrap to produce products such as aluminum tube products. As for the entire nonferrous scrap trading, they handle 1 million annually, whilst 400,000 tonnes for zinc ingots.

Lead ingots are also in the company’s portfolio, already having business deals with several companies. 

One of the deals is in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a major Chinese lead refining company. 

At the refining plant in Phnom Penh, the Chinese company produces 3,000 tonnes of lead ingots per month. The raw materials they purchase include battery scrap, lead grid and bullion (all imported). It is reported that the company has a plan to build its second refining plant in Sihanoukville. 

 

WGBI

 

During the ABC, the Battery Council inaugurated the WGBI, Women in the Global Battery Industry on the 7th of September, for women who attended the ABC. About 20 women participated, including our female reporter from IRUNIVERSE. 

A woman from Turkey, currently working for an organisation called Battery Innovation, gave a presentation on the topic of career development for women. 

Spending 8 years to receive a PhD in Germany, her career and achievements were praised at the gathering in a friendly atmosphere. 

According to the organiser, the WGBI was inaugurated in order to support young women in the battery industry, as well as to play a role as a bridge between students and companies. 

 

* Original Japanese version of this article: 20ABCインタビューその５ インドSPI 浙江海亮（hailiang） WGBI

 

 

（IRUNIVERSE Tanamachi, translated by A.C.）

 

 

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