TTE’s Kiruwanaganga Tea Factory certified as Sri Lanka’s first plantation sector Green Building

Exterior view of the Kiruwanaganga Tea Factory in Deniyaya, a two-storey facility designed to support resource-efficient operations

Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTE), a member of the Hayleys Plantation Sector, announced that its Kiruwanaganga Tea Factory has become Sri Lanka’s first Green Building-certified tea factory, achieving a Gold rating under the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka’s GREENSL framework.

The certification takes into consideration all measures taken by the company to sustainably manage water, energy, and efficiency across the manufacturing process, while creating a safer and more productive working environment. 

Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said: “This certification is an important signal for the plantation sector. Kiruwanaganga shows that modernisation and sustainability can be delivered together, with measurable improvements in energy, water efficiency, and workplace conditions, while protecting quality and productivity. For Hayleys Plantations, the focus is on building future-ready operations that strengthen Sri Lanka’s competitiveness in global tea markets and give buyers confidence in how our products are made.”

The story of Kiruwanaganga’s progress is characterised by resilience and innovation. First established nearly seven decades ago in the low-grown region of Deniyaya, the original factory was destroyed in a fire in 1989. 

After restarting its operations, the factory was again temporarily relocated in 2017 following a landslide in the region. Notably, even with this relocation, the factory never missed a single day of production, and was present at every Colombo Tea Auction from then to the present day. 

TTE PLC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Nishantha Abeysinghe said: “For more than a century, Sri Lanka has upheld a reputation for producing the world’s best tea. And in that time, Talawakelle Tea has been at the forefront of this unbroken legacy in manufacturing the highest quality Pure Ceylon Tea. With this latest certification of our state-of-the-art Kiruwanaganga factory, we further enhance this powerful and unique value proposition with credible and impactful sustainability credentials that our buyers and consumers can trust.” 

The rebuilt Kiruwanaganga Tea Factory represents an investment of nearly Rs. 714.3 million, developed as a future-ready, climate-smart manufacturing facility. The operation integrates energy-efficient systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled machinery, and intelligent process controls to strengthen quality management, improve productivity, and enhance long-term cost efficiency. These improvements have contributed to record production volumes, auction-leading prices, strong energy performance, and the highest gross sales averages recorded by the factory.

A key design decision was the move away from conventional tea factory architecture. While many tea factories are typically constructed across four floors, Kiruwanaganga was redesigned as a two-storey facility without reducing production capacity, lowering construction material requirements and limiting the overall building footprint.

The project adopted a carbon-smart construction approach, achieving an embodied carbon intensity of 432 kg CO₂e per square metre, performing within the B-rating range for Asia-Pacific industrial buildings (2025 benchmark), and was constructed entirely on previously developed plantation land with minimal site disturbance. 

A 220 kWp rooftop solar photovoltaic system supports day-to-day operations and energy savings, while water-efficient design and process optimisation have eliminated the use of potable water in factory operations. Sustainable material selection and the planting of native greenery further support the site environment and employee well-being.

With this Gold certification, Kiruwanaganga demonstrates how sustainability performance, operational modernisation, and long-term resilience can be delivered together within Sri Lanka’s plantation sector, reinforcing TTE PLC’s commitment to responsible growth and value creation for the tea industry.