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The Industrial Services Bureau (ISB) is planning to conduct a boiler flue gas analysis and a condition report to the entire Desiccated Coconut (DC) industry in Sri Lanka. Under this service, ISB will visit each and every DC factory and carry out a complete flue gas analysis, collect relevant data of the boiler system. Based on the result of the analysis, a comprehensive report will be provided for each DC factory with the proposals for improvement of the boiler system if necessary.

The Desiccated Coconut (DC) sector is considered as one of the main sub sectors of the coconut industry that makes an important contribution to the economy of Sri Lanka in terms of export earning and employment. By year 2001, sixty DC mills have been registered with the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) of Sri Lanka and most of these mills are in Kurunegala, Puttalam and the Gampaha Districts.

The DC sector employs over 16,000 people representing 29% of the people involved in the coconut industry in total.

The major sources of energy used in the DC industry in Sri Lanka are firewood (traditional mills), fuel oil (modern mills) and electricity. The total annual energy consumption in the DC sector amounts to 21,660 tons of fuel wood, about 11,500 tons furnace oil and 10 GWh of electricity. This constitutes about 0.16% of the total energy consumption of Sri Lanka.

For an annual DC production of 60,000 tons, the Carbon Dioxide (Co2) emission is estimated at 74,000 tons, constituting about 2.44% of the annual total Co2 emission at national level. The waste water generated by the industry at an estimate of 5.0 millions cubic meters annually, is discharged to natural bodies with least treatment except oil separation. About 10 tons of PM (Practical Matters) and 3,850 tons of BOD5 (Biological Oxygen Demand) are generated from the DC sector in Sri Lanka.

Both the energy consumption and contribution of Co2 emission from the DC Sector are not much compared to the national total but addressing these two issues confronting this sector in Sri Lanka is important because they are critical in reducing green house gas (GHG) emissions and other local impacts.

ISB is planning to conduct the analysis of boiler flue gas under the sponsorship of Climate Change Enabling Activity Program of the Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources of early January 2003.

Since the DC industry is playing a major role in the economy of North Western Province, this sector has been selected for this study first and with the experience gathered it will be extended to other sectors too. ISB Bulletin

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