Board of Investment of Sri Lanka provides knowledge and training to professionals joining industry to build low-carbon, environment-friendly industries

Madhushani Gunawardhana, a first-class graduate of Biosystems and Technology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, presents the research paper she compiled during her internship training on “Industrial Boiler Fuel Assessment Guidelines for Sustainable Boiler Operations” to BOI Director General Renuka Weerakoone (right), Director – Environment Department Asanka Welagedara (third from left), and University of Sri Jayewardenepura Faculty of Technology Senior Lecturer Dr. Udayagi Kumarasinghe (left)  

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) is transforming existing factories and future industries into environmentally friendly green industries. The BOI has implemented changes to transform several investment promotion zones into green industrial zones. Industries under the purview of the BOI are currently in the process of upgrading the machinery used in their factories to minimise the amount of carbon emissions released into the environment, and the BOI considers the approval only for the use of environmentally friendly machines for the industries under the BOI with proper guidance in accordance with regulations.

Moving forward, the Environment Management Department of the BOI has taken steps to provide internship training to the students of the Faculty of Technology in collaboration with the University of Jayawardenepura, Sri Lanka, with the intention of providing theoretical and practical knowledge to the new professionals entering the field of environment management.

Under the supervision of Sri Lanka Board of Investment Director – Environment Department Asanka Welagedara, Assistant Director Terancy Samarawickrama, Environmental Officer of the Department Sanuddhika Weerasinghe, and Dr. Pradeep Gajanayake, Dr. Udayagi Kumarasinghe, and Dr. D.J. Jayasankha, Senior Lecturers at the University of Sri Jayawardenepura’s Faculty of Technology, these internship students did their research and learned theory and practice in the business world as external and internal supervisors.

The team that completed the internship of the Environment Management Department presented their research outcomes conducted based on the BOI industries at the BOI Auditorium recently. The Director General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Renuka M. Weerakoone chaired this proud event, and all internal department heads of BOI participated.

The Director General Renuka M. Weerakoone who spoke here, stated that the research, knowledge, and concepts of these new professionals are more important for sustainable industrial development. She also underscored the importance of incorporating this knowledge into the work of the BOI, and stressed the effectiveness of providing such experiences to future professionals.

This theoretical, practical, and research training for the internship students focused on several detailed aspects that are highly relevant and significant to the industrial sector in Sri Lanka. During this conference, guidelines to assess industrial boiler fuels for sustainable boiler operations, the development of a green rating system for a sustainable industrial zone, the calculation of the water footprint for optimising the organic latex mattress manufacturing industry, enhancing the calorific value and palletisation of biologically treated sludge for sustainable energy production, and assessing and reducing the carbon footprint of organic rubber mattress manufacturing—a comprehensive life cycle analysis—were presented by the internship students of the Environment Management Department of the BOI.