• Haycarb celebrates 50 years in the industry



Activated carbon, also known as activated charcoal, is not new to the market and is used in a range of industries, from food and beverage to mining and energy. It holds a lot of promise and has been studied extensively. Activated carbon has a high specific surface area and porosity, making it effective in adsorption, removal of pollutants, water treatment, and so on.

Activated carbon can be produced using different materials, and in Sri Lanka, Haycarb has been taking the agricultural waste product that is the coconut shell and transforming it into activated carbon. Established in 1973, Haycarb has spent the past five decades, cementing its place as a leading manufacturer and marketer of coconut shell activated carbon.

Currently, Haycarb has six activated carbon manufacturing locations in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia. They have also been recognised for their work over the years, winning multiple Presidential Export Awards for the coconut shell products sector as well as at the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards, the Green World Awards (UK), the 30th NCE Export Awards, and the 2022 Business Leader of the Year ceremony.

Recently, team Haycarb held a gathering for members of the media, during which The Daily Morning Brunch had the opportunity to learn more about activated carbon and the work Haycarb does.

It all starts with coconut shells

The manufacturing process of activated carbon goes back to something we are all familiar with: the coconut shell. Haycarb collects coconut shells from homes and industries. Haycarb added that 60-70% of their coconut shell requirement is sourced locally, with the remainder imported.

The coconut shells are transformed into coconut shell charcoal through a carbonisation process, and the Haycarb team explained that the usual market price of 1 kg of coconut shell is between Rs. 30 and Rs. 35, while 1 kg of charcoal is between Rs. 120 and Rs. 130. Haycarb’s raw material is charcoal, which they add value to with 1 kg of activated carbon selling at $ 2.50 to $ 3, which is approximately Rs. 775 to Rs. 930.

However, it is important to note that during the carbonisation process, the weight of coconut shells is reduced by 1/3 and a further 1/3 when charcoal is turned into activated carbon. Thus, 10 kg of coconut shell is required to make 1 kg of activated carbon.

“As long as the coconut industry is stable, this is a process that can go on, but you cannot pluck coconuts just to make activated carbon. That has to be understood,” the Haycarb team emphasised. They explained that activated carbon is also made of coal, which isn’t environmentally friendly. Wood, another material used, is not sustainable. However, coconut shells are considered a renewable and green option.

Going into more detail about activated carbon, Haycarb explained that the adsorption characteristics of the carbon can be anything from 15% to 100%. This is because it has micropores, created during the carbonisation process, which increases the surface area of these pores. The team shared that if you expand the pores of 1 gram of activated carbon at the first level, you will have a surface area the size of a football field. “We go up to 1,000 or 1,300 square metres of surface area depending on the application.”

Haritha Angara and Recogen

Haycarb has developed a patented process of making charcoal, through which they prepare charcoal in a green manner, a process that also generates electricity that is supplied to the national grid. This process for green charcoaling is implemented through the Recogen project.

Haycarb said they produce 25 tonnes of charcoal daily, and that Recogen was designed and implemented in-house with local engineering and technical expertise. It allows Haycarb to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

The organisation explained that the process involves building units which combust the harmful methane-rich gases that are released during traditional charcoaling processes to run a steam turbine that produces electricity for the national grid.

In addition to this, the Haycarb engineers developed underground charcoal pits, which they provide to suppliers through an initiative known as Haritha Angara. This is a project by Haycarb where traditional pit charcoaling is converted into eco-friendly closed-pit charcoaling.

Haycarb is able to support over 240 suppliers through this initiative and has constructed 400 pits in 18 districts. The suppliers are trained by Haycarb, which monitors and overlooks operations.

Markets

Haycarb mainly exports their products, with key export markets being the US, Europe, African nations, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Russia. They see water, air, and gold mining as the growth industries with the highest potential.

“As the world develops and people’s disposable income levels increase, the demand for good quality air and water increases, and with that, we assume that the demand for activated carbon will grow, especially in the water treatment and air purification industries, which are two of the largest sectors we supply to,” Haycarb said.

Given the potential of activated carbon, it comes as no surprise that Haycarb invests heavily in research and development, and Haycarb said that they have one of the highest research capabilities for activated carbon globally. Haycarb said they could say this with confidence, as it was based on the feedback and audits of customers they supply to worldwide.

Haycarb has 60 chemists and scientists, and their research and development lab is equipped with some of the latest technology.

Celebrating 50 years in the industry

The Haycarb team proudly shared that they were celebrating fifty years in 2023, having started with a production quantity of 700 tonnes, which has been expanded to 55,000 tonnes today. Sharing what has kept them going, especially in the past few years, Haycab shared that during the Covid-19 pandemic, demand increased but a lot of suppliers couldn’t supply due to restrictions that were imposed globally. However, Haycarb had strong contingency plans in place, through which they were able to ensure delivery. This helped further strengthen their reputation in the industry.