Nestlé Lanka opens Rs. 1 billion biomass boiler at Kurunegala Factory
Daily FT: Continuing its journey of doing good for Sri Lanka, Nestlé Lanka has invested in a biomass boiler project at its state-of-the-art factory in Kurunegala.
The biomass boiler is a key initiative in the ‘Good Food Good Life’ company’s journey towards reaching net zero carbon emissions across the value chain by 2050.
Nestlé strongly believes in conducting its operations sustainably in a manner which positively impacts not only people, but also the planet. This Rs. 1.1 billion investment will facilitate the transition from the use of furnace oil to biomass for generating steam in its manufacturing operations. This transition will lead to a 90% reduction in carbon emissions generated from current steam boilers.
Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi inaugurated the new biomass boiler at the Kurunegala Factory on 27 February. The inauguration ceremony also witnessed the participation of Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Dr. Siri Walt, Central Environmental Authority Chairman Professor Tilak Hewawasam, and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Past Chairman and the Chamber’s Clean Sri Lanka Initiatives Chair Vish Govindasamy.
Sharing her thoughts, Guest of Honour, Dr. Siri Walt said: “Nestlé has a longstanding presence in Sri Lanka of almost 120 years producing household names like Maggi, Milo and Nestomalt. But Nestlé is also a sustainability champion with its aim to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The groundbreaking investment into this biomass boiler is a testimony to this. I am delighted to see Nestlé’s investment into innovation and sustainability, a priority for Switzerland and Sri Lanka”.
Central Environmental Authority Chairman Professor Tilak Hewawasam said: “I commend Nestlé Lanka for investing and driving the transition to cleaner energy in their manufacturing operations, in line with our Government’s Clean Sri Lanka initiatives.”
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest, Minister Handunneththi said: “With a commitment to quality and innovation, Nestlé Lanka has made significant contributions to local economies, providing employment, fostering sustainable practices, and supporting community development initiatives. The inauguration of this biomass boiler is a clear demonstration of Nestlé Lanka’s deep-rooted commitment to environmental sustainability and our continuous pursuit of innovation.”
Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Bernie Stefan said: “With a local footprint of over 118 years, we have remained true to our endeavour of positively impacting Sri Lankans, be it with our continuous investments, tastier and healthier choices, contribution towards local communities or our initiatives towards a greener and cleaner Sri Lanka. The biomass boiler is one such investment that will help us reduce the carbon emissions generated in our manufacturing process, supporting our journey of reaching net zero emissions by 2050. I’m delighted to note that this project will also help us reduce the need to import furnace oil, whilst creating an opportunity for locally sourced biomass. We will remain committed to playing a significant role in fuelling Sri Lanka’s economic revival, in line with the Government’s Clean Sri Lanka initiatives.”
OSL take:
The billion-rupee investment in the upliftment and expansion of operations by a multinational company operating in Sri Lanka indicates the increasing confidence in Sri Lanka’s growing economy as well as the increasing overall business potential in the country. Investments of this nature also showcase the growing business/investment opportunities in all key economic sectors in the country, especially in the capacity building face as well as in the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities in-line with the increasing demand. With Sri Lanka targeting on becoming a regional hub, the opportunities presented by the many sectors in the country would see a steady growth, thereby presenting revolving business ventures for foreign businesses/investors on the lookout for lucrative opportunities. Foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the many expanding business/investment opportunities given that Sri Lanka has become an emerging business destination in the region presenting the best venue for foreign entities to set up bases to engage with other countries in the region.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250307/Z_2 |