Sri Lanka’s Haycarb Plc, an exporter of activated carbon said it had begun a campaign to expand coconut cultivation in the north of the island.
This is being done in partnership with the Coconut Development Authority and Coconut Cultivation Board.
“Haycarb aims to plant 100,000 coconut trees in the Northern regions of Sri Lanka, including Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna. This initiative is a vital part of a broader national endeavour to establish a second coconut triangle,” the company said in a statement.
Phase One kicked off in Iyakachchi, Jaffna, with the distribution of 25,000 coconut seedlings.
The remaining 75,000 trees are to be planted in the Northern and Eastern provinces by end 2024.
“Haycarb has worked extensively in developing and manufacturing premium quality coconut shell based activated carbons to suit a range of application segments globally, that include water and air purification, gold extraction and many other applications,” Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan said.
“We see growth potential in the activated carbon market, for which we require a much greater supply of coconut charcoal. This will support the demand for coconut shells in the country while reducing dependence on imported charcoal,” he said.
“Our recent technological drive to develop activated carbons for the energy storage segment, encompassing both mobile and stationary power and energy applications, embraces sustainability principles.”
Haycarb is also expanding its pioneering ‘Haritha Angara’ green charcoaling initiative with the installation of 30 additional pits in 2023/24, bringing the total to 473 pits island-wide, and plans to expand the total to over 500 pits by 2025.
Launched in 2014 with the aim of introducing eco-friendly charcoaling practices to local suppliers, the “Haritha Angara” initiative encourages local suppliers to convert their traditional open pit charcoaling sites to environment-friendly closed pits using technology, training and expertise developed by the Haycarb team.
Haycarb has manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia, supported by marketing offices in the USA, UK, and Australia.