The famed Northern lands where Sri Lanka’s chemical giant Paranthan Chemicals Company (PCC) was situated have now been earmarked for a large industrial zone which will also house Sri Lanka’s first Heavy Chemical Industry Zone.
“Northern factories of the PCC that were discontinued in 1985 are to be revived. The site will also expand to include a Heavy Chemical Industry Zone” said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, today (19), in Paranthan.
Bathiudeen was speaking to the media after his inspection tour of the defunct Paranthan Chemical factory site.
The Paranthan factory site spreads across 227 acres and all factories were destroyed during the war. In many ways, the Northern PCC factories spurred the development of the Sri Lankan manufacturing by producing and supplying domestically made, low cost chemicals that were promptly absorbed by many local industries.
Bathiudeen said that he plans to develop the entire Paranthan site to become an industrial zone involving general and chemical industries. 117 acres in Paranthan are allocated for chemical industries, 67 acres for revived Paranthan chemical factories and another 50 acres for a Heavy Chemical Industry Zone.
The 50 acre chemical zone will border a 110-acre general industry zone. The first stage targets low polluting chemical production and related industries as well as industries based on mineral resources with export market potential and processed industries that work on raw material from the area.
At present, through the PCC, Sri Lanka imports its entire annual requirement of liquid chlorine. 98% of this liquid chlorine is absorbed by the Water Supply and Drainage Board. With the recommencement of PCC factories, domestic production of Sri Lanka’s total chlorine requirement would recommence saving an estimated USD 860,000 (around LKR 147 million) annually.
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