RIYADH, 2 May — Acid contents of scrap car batteries drained out into the soil illegally is contaminating ground water in the country, posing a serious threat to the environment.
Anas Hafiz, executive manager of the National Lead Smelting Co. and a member of the environment committee of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, warned that the batteries also contain pollutants such as lead, arsenic, chromium, zinc, nickel and copper in quantities well above levels prescribed by the Meteorological and Environmental Protection Agency.
Hafiz said a joint-venture high-tech facility has already been set up to recycle used lead acid batteries (ULABs) and produce pure lead and lead alloys.
“With the concept of environmental protection gaining global momentum, the establishment of the reclamation plant at Rassas aims at achieving the objectives of recycling ULABs contributing significantly to the Kingdom’s efforts in implementing the principles of Basel Convention,” Hafiz said.
He said Rasass had been producing substantial quantity of lead annually, making the Kingdom self-sufficient in lead production. “Rasass is another complement to the country’s non-oil sector in line with the Saudi government’s policy to help environmental projects for generating revenues from local industry,” said the executive manager.
Predicting sales worth SR50 million this year, he said Rassas was currently meeting 100 percent demand for lead in Saudi Arabia. It has been exporting to all GCC countries, Jordan, Syria, India and Pakistan.
Rassas, he said, had been recycling 40,000 tons of scrap batteries annually — 90 percent of total scrap batteries collected in Saudi Arabia. The company, however, is targeting to procure remaining 10 percent, drained locally and exported in contravention of the provisions of the Basel Convention.
