Bulgarian Family Company Among Europe’s Leaders in Battery Recycling
EL BAT Builds New Facilities in Dolna Banya, Processing Old Batteries into Raw Materials
With its new technological line, EL BAT is positioning itself not only as a key player in the European market but also in global markets. Founded in 1993 by Dimitar Popov and Nikolay Bazhlekov, EL BAT has been one of the fastest-growing companies in Bulgaria from its inception. The company’s core activity is the processing and recycling of various types of lead-containing waste and out-of-use car batteries.
The special project to expand the plant, the launch of a brand-new technological line, and the integration of modern technologies have propelled EL BAT to a leading position not only in Bulgaria but also in Europe. The project for the new facilities started in 2018 as part of the company’s strategic development. Five years later, a powerful processing plant proudly stands and operates in Dolna Banya — a symbol of pride for the owners, father and son Dimitar and Stanislav Popov, and the entire workforce in Dolna Banya. The new plant receives tons of old batteries, which are processed into raw materials that are once again used to manufacture batteries — a perfect example of the circular economy in its purest form.
New life is given to old lead-acid batteries, which would otherwise remain unused and risk polluting the environment across Europe. Across Europe, because for EL BAT, the Bulgarian market for such raw materials is too small.
Stanislav is a second-generation businessman and a second-generation boxer — a hobby shared with his father that for Stanislav has also become a professional opportunity.
“Bulgaria does not generate enough old batteries to supply our facilities. As an export-oriented company for many years, our raw materials come mainly from abroad. We produce the final product here in Bulgaria and reintroduce it to the European market, ensuring the added value remains in Bulgaria to benefit the Bulgarian economy,” commented EL BAT.
Competition exists, but it is more of a stimulus. They are proud that during difficult times for business — the two tough years of the pandemic and more than a year of war in Ukraine — they made the right decisions, did not hesitate, invested in uncertain times, and are now reaping the rewards.
“Generally speaking, our company follows a pragmatic mindset. We strive to maintain balance in our decisions because nowadays, nothing is certain. We cannot precisely predict how the business will develop over the next two, three, or four years. We know there is demand for lead, we know there will be a subsequent economic recovery, and I believe we made good investments years ago when we could take advantage of favorable global pricing levels before the coronavirus crisis. Right now, we have a certain advantage because we have already built our facilities,” said Stanislav Popov.
And so he concludes that risk sometimes pays off, and sometimes it doesn’t. But he believes that in life, everything is about an idea, a well-executed idea, and luck. Step by step, you grow.
Stanislav Popov, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of “EL BAT” AD:
“We are building a family business that will remain here, in Bulgaria.”
– Mr. Popov, recently there has been a lot of talk about the circular economy and green policies. For your company “EL BAT,” which deals with the utilization of old batteries, this seems to be nothing new, especially now that your newest installation is operational?
At the moment, we can say that our enterprise in Dolna Banya, which we developed together with Italian and French equipment manufacturers, is one of the leading facilities in the world for processing and recycling car batteries. Today, we have many technological advantages that make our processes more efficient, producing more output in an environmentally friendly manner. We have increased the company’s total capacity over three times compared to the previous facilities from 2008. This required us to hedge lead metal prices on the London Metal Exchange to manage the risk of lead price fluctuations from purchasing raw materials to converting them into finished products and selling them to end customers.
Today, we use less energy despite having increased capacity and production, and we have the technological advantage of adjusting the type of energy sources we use as needed — an innovation in the metallurgy industry. All these updated technologies work in combination with an integrated German ERP system for precise monitoring and control of operations at all times. We are thinking about the benefits for the environment and reducing our carbon footprint — an issue that has concerned Europe for many years.
– Where is your place in the European and global markets?
EL BAT, as a Bulgarian company, is competitive in the Central European market. We currently produce about fifty thousand tons of lead products per year, but in the foreseeable future, this figure will increase to eighty-three thousand tons. We operate across the entire European market, as well as in Asia. This diversification helps us remain competitive and resilient. The competition is strong, which clearly shows that companies like ours provide significant global benefits, and that’s why we exist.
On the other hand, for us at “EL BAT,” the ability to compete with larger firms allows us to grow constructively by adopting and improving technologies. I don’t know a better way for a company to grow than when leaders and a cohesive team work in harmony to achieve a better product and higher quality service.
– Your company is an example of a true high-level family business. Is it difficult to build such a business?
Nothing worthwhile is easy. Whether you find your place as an employee, initiate a business, or try to expand something that already exists by building upon it, there are always pros and cons. Personally, I’m happy to be here and have the opportunity to develop a business that is already recognized in Europe. It’s one of the few entrepreneurial projects that has succeeded at this stage of the economy in the past thirty years. Unfortunately, when you start from scratch and grow at such a pace, you inevitably become part of various speculations. Some time ago, we were accused that someone else stood behind EL BAT, but the truth is that we achieved everything ourselves with hard work and dedication. My father has dedicated his entire life to the company, and now I am ready to follow in his footsteps, hoping that my children will have this opportunity too.
– Is there a clash of ideas with your father?
There’s no clash of ideas; rather, our ideas complement each other. My father’s experience is invaluable, but on the other hand, youthful energy gives us wings. I believe our success comes from working in unison.
– How do you address the staffing challenge?
We strive to both attract and develop employees. Moreover, we encourage our colleagues to continue learning and gaining new qualifications. I have always said that an employee’s success is rooted in two things — a good education and heart. Because no matter how skilled you are, if you lack motivation and the desire to commit to a project and give your best despite the challenges, the project is likely doomed from the start.
– What are the company’s goals?
We now have the capacity to soon be recognized as one of the largest producers of secondary lead in Europe, although what I primarily see is the opportunity to recycle more, which provides significant environmental benefits. In this way, we also promote the circular economy. We have many ideas for sustainable growth, and we are eager to implement most of them.
We strive to be carbon neutral by creating opportunities to generate solar energy through photovoltaic systems, thus reducing our reliance on power from power plants or other energy producers that impact the climate. We see opportunities for both new investments and improving current processes, such as developing our own hydrogen and oxygen production site at “EL BAT,” increasing the share of green energy in the company. All this aligns with the company’s growth and the favorable business environment in Bulgaria and Europe. As I mentioned earlier, we are proud that hardworking people consider “EL BAT” a mission for the future. I always call ‘EL BAT’ a company of the future because what we are building today will change the future for generations to come. We want to expand abroad as a Bulgarian company that started in Bulgaria, and I believe this is something that makes us all proud as Bulgarians.
– How do you build a facility that meets all European standards from an empty field?
We never expected to reach this scale of operations when we founded the company. It requires experience, which we accumulate over time, specialized knowledge and skills, a lot of effort, and tireless dedication. The main driver is entrepreneurship, which guides and propels us forward. The added value that remains here is extremely important because we recycle raw materials in Bulgaria that we source from abroad.
We use our facilities to produce a finished product that is sold abroad, ensuring that the added value from that finished product stays in our country. We do not earn money from Bulgaria to purchase assets abroad, allowing those funds to remain outside the country. Instead, we do the exact opposite. We source raw materials from abroad, process them into finished products, and sell those products internationally. The majority of our revenue comes from these exports, which we reinvest here in Bulgaria to support the economy and society.
