INSEE Cement, a Sri Lankan cement manufacturer, announced that it began construction of a mega-capacity warehouse within the industrial park in Hambantota International Port (HIP) last week.
HIP Group CEO Johnson Liu and INSEE Chairman/CEO Nandana Ekanayake participated as chief guests at the ground-breaking ceremony, which was held at the warehouse site. The HIPG CEO said: “INSEE was the port’s first bulk cargo customer since inception and the largest volume contributor. We have always had a win-win collaboration with INSEE, where they could increase their volumes owing to the high-quality service we offer and help streamline their local supply chain, while contributing to the largest dry bulk volumes handled by the port. This new investment by INSEE in HIP’s industrial park is proof of their trust in us, as well as being a commitment to meet the demands of the local industry.”
The $ 3 million investment by INSEE will see the development of the largest warehousing facility inside a port in Sri Lanka for raw materials used in the production of cement. The warehouse, which will see completion in the next six months, will have a capacity of 45,000 cubic metres and is being built on a 17,300 sq m plot of land.
INSEE Chairman/CEO Nandana Ekanayake said: “Hambantota Port is a vital link in our raw material supply chain. INSEE has been using this port since 2018, and so far, we have cleared around 1.7 million tons of bulk cargo through the port, of which we did a little over 1 million in 2021. Today, we laid this foundation as another step to strengthen our partnership with HIPG, and it is a part of our commitment when we signed the 10-year lease agreement with the port, to construct this 100,000 sq ft warehouse for slag. We see great potential in developing channels through HIP and while we have made an initial investment of $ 3 million for warehousing in the industrial park, we would be more than doubling it in the future.”
Once it is completed, it will be used to store shipments of cement raw material arriving at the Hambantota International Port and later be transferred to INSEE’s production plant. The modern construction of the warehouse is geared to store the raw material in safe environmentally friendly surroundings. The warehouse once operational will create many locally sourced job opportunities.
A tree-planting initiative and a pirith chant were held to mark the occasion, which was attended by both INSEE and HIP teams.
Picture captions
- HIPG CEO Johnson Liu and INSEE Chairman/CEO Nandana Ekanayake welcomed to the site
- Officials of HIPG and INSEE, and invitees from the Harbour Police, at the groundbreaking ceremony
- The HIPG and INSEE teams at the warehouse site. Also present at the occasion were invitees from the Harbour Police
- INSEE Chairman/CEO Nandana Ekanayake giving ‘atapirikara’ to the clergy after the pirith-chanting ceremony
- HIPG CEO Johnson Liu planting a tree to mark the occasion