Plan of Activities for Minerals Sector for the 5 Years from 2025 to 2029

BY PUBLICITY DIVISION (IESL)

This document is an outcome of the Stake Holder Consultation Meeting of the Earth Resources and Minerals Sector held at the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka on 11th June 2024. Due to time constrains it was possible to focus only on two mineral resources of the country, namely Quartz and Graphite.

Proposing to focus on these two minerals in the year 2024 and proceed for initiatives for development of the other main minerals of the country in the coming year (2025).

Objectives of the Stake Holder Consultation

  1. Increase of foreign exchange income from the mineral exports in the coming five years
  2. Prepare a Plan of Activities for the Minerals Sector for short and medium term starting from 2025 to 2029.
  3. Review current status of value addition and see the opportunities for technologically advanced value additions.

Following short and medium term Plan of Activities for the Minerals sector are agreed upon during the stake holder consultation,

  1. Setting up of a National Production Laboratory with the following objectives,
    Providing state-of-the–art laboratory analytical solutions and high-tech product testing facilities with international accreditation to cater to geology, minerals, metallurgical and material industry on a aimed at local and international clientele.
  2. Increase of volume of exports of quartz and graphite in order to increase foreign exchange income from current income of USD 11.7 million, USD 7.8 million respectively to USD 30 million and USD 30 million respectively by the end of the 5 year period (2025 to 2029) 3. Relaxation of permits for exploitation of the commonly and abundantly available minerals such as quartz to individuals to exploit on their own lands.
  3. Relaxation of permits for exploitation of the commonly and abundantly available minerals such as quartz to individuals to exploit on their own lands.

Highlights of the meeting

  1. Enhancing the quality of exports, export volumes by primary value addition by the techniques of physical processing such as separation techniques, color separation, size reduction, identification of industrial segments/customers based on different quality parameters etc.
  2. From the Chemical Engineering point of view, secondary value addition or chemical processing with respect to the two minerals focused are capital intensive and technologically advanced processes. Specially with respect to quartz value addition up to the end user products such as solar panels, fiber optic cables, optical lenses etc. are high tech processes and Sri Lanka do not have such technologies right now.
  3. It was discussed that Sri Lanka shall attract foreign investments/ technologies for high end products using these minerals.
  4. Also it was highlighted that current output volume of graphite which is 2500 metric tons per year is not sufficient to attract foreign investments such as production of carbon brush for electric motors.
  5. Volume of graphite production proposed to be 10,000 metric tons per annum by the end of 5 year period (by 2029).
  6. It was proposed to set up National Production Laboratory for Minerals either in University of Moratuwa premises or at GSMB premises.

Note:

I am also proposing to see the possibility of setting up this laboratory at the Industrial Development Board premises at Katubedda. Open for discussion.