Modern technology needed to penetrate Kahatagaha mine

Due to lack of modern technology the Kahatagaha Graphite mine could not be reached up to 2000 ft. level to extract quality graphite which has a great demand in the world.

The graphite industry got a big boost with the development of graphene technology needed for the manufacture of car batteries where 99 per cent of Sri Lankan graphite possesses purity value, said the Director of the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau, Udaya De Silva at a media briefing held at the JAIC Hilton Colombo 2 this week. Meanwhile around 3000 tons of graphite mined from the Bogala mine is exported annually.

The Director said that 11 foreign and local companies have been permitted to reserve land for mining of graphite. Two new graphite mines at Meegahakiula in Badulla and in Vavuniya have also been discovered recently. “We have issued seven mining licenses and chief among them were for the Bogala and Kahatagaha mines.”

Explaining the history of graphite, he said graphite mines were discovered in the country during the Dutch period in 1675. However mining for graphite took place about 150 years ago by accident when the earth was being dug up for laying foundations for building etc. Around 4000 graphite mines had existed about 150 years ago. But in 1948 only two graphite mines viz Bogala and Kahatagaha had remained.

Director LOLC Advanced Technologies, and Ceylon Graphene Technogies, Kithsiri Gunawardena said although Sri Lanka has the best natural graphite deposits in the world, 90 per cent of the graphite is exported in bulk quantities without any value addition. “We were also aware that Sri Lanka is rich in other natural mineral deposits and is interested in identifying areas of growth potential and sustainability that can increase the quality of life of people in the country,” he added.

CEO of the Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology, Heminda Jayaweera said that South Korea accounts for 40 per cent of high technology whereas Sri Lanka accounts for only one per cent of such technology after five decades. The South Korean government provided incentives to companies 50 years ago to engage in the manufacture of high technology products.

The Ceylon G rap he ne Tecnologies is a subsidiary of LOLC Group, a leading conglomerate present in the economic sectors of the country. LOLC has successfully ventured into regional countries by setting up operations in Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Indonesia, Zambia, Nigeria and the Philippines and with more plans in the pipeline for overseas expansion.