In a testament to the global interest in Sri Lanka’s strategic resources, China, India, the United States, and France are vying to secure investments in the country’s graphite sector, according to the Daily Mirror. This is in addition to Canadian and Australian companies currently involved in the industry.
Experts highlight that Sri Lanka possesses rich deposits of high-quality vein graphite. Director General of the Geological and Mines Survey Bureau, Prof. Ranjith Premasiri, confirmed the interest from Indian and Chinese investors in the sector.
“We must see who is doing maximum value addition and who is using these for advanced industrial applications. Also, we have over 3,000 abandoned pits in most parts of the country. So we can demand it,” he stated.
Recently, an initial discussion was conducted between officials from the Indian government and the Bureau to explore the possibilities of developing the graphite industry. The discussion focused on collaboration in exploration and mining technologies, such as the use of advanced airborne geophysical exploration techniques for exploring vein-type graphite deposits in Sri Lanka. The parties also considered maximizing the value addition of graphite for use in modern industries and the potential for starting graphite-based industries such as EV batteries and lubricants.
Source – dailymirror.lk
