• Already installed 215 eco-friendly charcoaling units
• Plans to establish 15 new eco-friendly charcoal units by the end of 2019
• Maintains premium prices to green charcoal suppliers
• Over Rs. 26 mn in long-term loans to upgrade supplier network

Forging ahead with the sharing of its breakthrough green-charcoaling technique with local suppliers across the island, pioneering activated carbon multi-national, Haycarb PLC announced plans to establish another 15 units of “Haritha Angara” by the end of the year.

Working in partnership with the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) and an extended network of small and medium supplier partners across the country, the next phase of the Haritha Angara initiative will increase total number of green charcoaling units up to 230 by end of 2019 with plans to scale up-to 500 charcoaling units by the end of 2025.

“With the development of our Green charcoaling technology, we became the pioneers in Asia to establish pollution-free charcoaling technique along-side energy generation. Through Haritha Angara, we are working to share these vital and ground-breaking techniques with our network of supplier partners in order to protect our environment while at the same time improving livelihood opportunities for communities across Sri Lanka encouraging them to convert to green charcoaling by paying a premium to our suppliers,” Haycarb PLC Managing Director, Rajitha Kariyawasan explained.

First initiated in 2014, the project commenced with the extension of technical support to existing charcoaling units to incorporate Haycarb’s green charcoal production techniques. However, the programme was quickly expanded to provide suppliers with long-term, interest-free loans to further assist supplier partners to improve and establish new eco-friendly units.

At present, a significant portion of Haycarb’s entire supply of Charcoal has already been converted to eco-friendly manufacture, while long-term plans are also in place to fully replace and expand its entire supply chain in Sri Lanka to eco-friendly Charcoal by 2025.

One of the key objectives of the project moving forward is to attract the collection of coconut shells that are usually wasted at the household level and channel them into the charcoal industry. With the expansion of the Haycarb’s Haritha Angara initiative outside of the traditional coconut growing triangle, the company is now starting to receive good quality charcoal for its activated carbon business from non-traditional suppliers based in Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Mullativu, Siyambalanduwa, Ampara, and Balangoda, further broad-basing opportunities for income generation.