India’s CDB Sees Coconut Shell-Activated Carbon Export Growth

Deepthi Nair, Deputy Director of Coconut Development Board in India has said activated carbon made from coconut shell has been witnessing good growth in exports. She was speaking at a webinar on ‘Exporting coconut products’, organized by the Kasaragod-based Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI).  She said the country exported 103,071 tons of activated carbon made from coconut shell (valued at    1,184 crore) in 2019-20 as against 97,050 tons year-earlier (valued at   1,344 crore). 

The US is the major importer of coconut shell-based activated carbon from India, followed by Japan and the United Kingdom. Nearly 95 percent of Indian production is exported to different destinations, she said. Coconut shell-based activated carbon is considered superior to other sources of activated carbon mainly because of small macro pores structure which renders it more effective for adsorption of gas/vapor and for the removal of color and odor of compounds, she said. More than 35 percent of activated carbon produced globally is used for water and waste-water treatment, and around 30 percent in the air and gas treatment application.  Such applications will drive growth of activated carbon.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka were the major producers of coconut shell-based activated carbon in the past. India has established itself in the world market as a supplier of high-quality coconut shell-based activated carbon, she said, adding the export of activated carbon from India has been steadily increasing since 2009-10.