Haycarb trades Carbon Credits under Kyoto Protocol

Haycarb PLC, the world’s largest coconut shell based activated carbon producer, has become one of the first companies in Sri Lanka to successfully register and trade-in carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Hayleys Group company has announced that it has obtained approval to receive the first block of payment for over 4, 000 CER (Certified Emission Reduction) credits generated during 2009-10.

The credits were awarded to Haycarb’s Recogen plant situated in Badalgama, the world’s only pollution-free charcoaling plant, whose environment-friendly coconut shell charcoaling process reduces greenhouse gas emissions and also generates electricity that is supplied to the national grid, contributing towards reducing fossil fuel driven power generation in the country.

Haycarb Managing Director Rajitha Kariyawasan said: “This is a significant milestone in our continuing efforts to progressively ‘green’ our operations. We are especially proud because Recogen is an example of local engineering skills and innovation.”

Designed and implemented in-house with local engineering and technical expertise, the Recogen project has a patented process for ‘Green Charcoaling.’ The project allows Haycarb to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, enabling the company to claim that it produces the world’s most ‘green’ activated carbon with the lowest carbon footprint per ton of activated carbon produced.

The Recogen plant converts coconut shell into charcoal in a mechanised process that uses ‘Pyrolysis’ (carbonisation in the absence of oxygen) and combusts the methane-rich gasses released, a major pollutant, to run a steam turbine that produces electricity for the national grid.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement which binds its participating members to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and came into force in February 2005.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), one of the three mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol, allows developing countries not bound to reduce greenhouse gasses under the protocol, but have a commitment towards the protocol to implement projects that reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions. These projects, after fulfilling the stringent verification process, earn Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent to a ton of carbon dioxide reduced, which can be sold and set off against greenhouse gas reduction targets applied to developed countries under the Kyoto protocol.

The pioneer manufacturer of activated carbon in any coconut producing country, Haycarb has manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia and marketing offices in the UK, Australia and USA. The company produces standard, washed and impregnated carbons in granular, pellet and powder form.