Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti recently inaugurated Tokyo Cement Group’s cutting-edge cement manufacturing plant in Trincomalee.
The fully-automated, high-tech cement grinding facility adds one million metric-tonnes (MT) to Tokyo Cement’s total production capacity, increasing it to four million MT per annum, the largest in the country.
The event was also graced by the presence of Embassy of Japan Chargé d’affaires ad Interim Naoaki Kamoshida, Finance Attache and First Secretary Takafumi Nakanishi Eastern Province Governor Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera and Trincomalee District MP Roshan Akmeemana, along with other dignitaries from the Ministry and government officials.
At the invitation Tokyo Cement Group Chairperson Dr. Harsha Cabral and Managing Director S. R. Gnanam, Mitsubishi Ube Cement Corporation Managing Executive Officer Masaharu Sansui, Tokyo Cement’s technical partner, attended the inauguration ceremony, along with distinguished members of the Board of Directors, as well as the management and staff of the Tokyo Cement Group.
Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti said: “It is deeply humbling to witness the significant impact Tokyo Cement has made, not only on the nation’s overall growth but also on the development of the Eastern Province. The immense potential of this region as an extraordinary business hub was recognised decades ago by the late Deshamanya A. Y. S. Gnanam, a vision I share and have consistently advocated.”
“What we see today is a powerful testament of that belief and the progress that can be achieved through robust public-private partnerships and a shared commitment to nation-building. As a government, we reaffirm our support for local investments such as this by fostering a conducive and investor-friendly environment for industrial development,” Handunnetti added.
Embassy of Japan Chargé d’affaires ad Interim Naoaki Kamoshid said: “We would like to express admiration for Tokyo Cement’s successful mill-expansion, only a few years after the country-wide economic crisis. Tokyo Cement’s expansion is not only timely but also visionary. The company’s strategic foresight will surely contribute to national progress and give this region and the country a hope for the future. It is a clear example of how Japanese and Sri Lankan businesses can collaborate to foster sustainable development and mutual prosperity. This partnership is a testament to the strong and enduring economic ties between our two countries.”
Tokyo Cement Group Chairperson Dr. Harsha Cabral said: “This manufacturing capacity expansion to four million MT, powered by state-of-the-art European technology, reaffirms Tokyo Cement Group’s commitment to innovation and environmentally efficient production. Most importantly, the entire project was executed by our in-house engineering teams, a powerful testament to Sri Lankan potential and our inherent confidence in creating value from within. Our strategic priorities throughout these forty plus years have consistently focused on expanding our local value chain by reinvesting back in the future of our own country. With this milestone Tokyo Cement is ready to meet the rising demand of the construction industry whilst saving millions of dollars otherwise spent on imports.”