Sri Lankan Academician Conducts Research Tour in China Paving the Way for China-Sri Lanka Green Water Sector Cooperation

To advance alignment with Sri Lanka’s development roadmap for water environment governance and consolidate pragmatic cooperation between the two countries’ water industries, the Belt and Road Eco-Industry Cooperation Working Committee under the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) organized a special research tour of key domestic environmental enterprises for a top water expert from Sri Lanka.

S.K. Weragoda, Fellow of the National Academy of Sri Lanka, Chief Engineer of Water Treatment Planning and Design at the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) of Sri Lanka, and Founding Co-Director of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology, conducted field visits to four environmental enterprises alongside a research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a special working group of ACEF. The enterprises visited include Shandong Pacific Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., CECEP Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Taiyuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., and China National Engineering Research Institute for Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. The parties carried out on-site inspections and technical exchanges focusing on low-carbon anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) nitrogen removal, super-magnetic water purification, prefabricated modular water treatment, and integrated EPC solutions for water environment projects.

I. Field Inspection of Low-Carbon Industrial Pollution Control Projects: ANAMMOX Technology Meets Local Industrial Needs

On June 5, the research team traveled to Qinhuangdao to inspect an industrial wastewater treatment project featuring ANAMMOX technology constructed by Shandong Pacific Environmental Protection. The team observed the stable continuous operation of the full set of low-carbon denitrification equipment and comprehensively assessed the core strengths of the technology in treating wastewater with high ammonia nitrogen and low carbon-nitrogen ratios.

Relying on functional ANAMMOX bacteria, the technology removes ammonia nitrogen in a single reaction stage, eliminating energy-intensive aeration and external carbon source dosing required by conventional processes. Compared with traditional treatment routes, it delivers sharp reductions in energy consumption, chemical dosage and sludge output, boasting outstanding low-carbon performance that closely matches local industrial wastewater treatment demands.

A special seminar was held upon the conclusion of the field inspection. Academician Weragoda stated that Sri Lanka faces prominent bottlenecks in treating high-ammonia-nitrogen wastewater generated by industries and urban settlements. The low-carbon ANAMMOX denitrification process addresses the country’s urgent pollution control demands, boasts broad prospects for industrial application, and represents a cutting-edge water environment solution Sri Lanka is eager to introduce.

II. Visit to CECEP Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd. – On-Site Observation of Integrated Super-Magnetic Emergency Water Purification Technology

On June 22, the research team paid a specialized technical visit to CECEP Environmental Protection Equipment Co., Ltd. and conducted an on-site survey of the emergency water quality improvement project for Juhe River in Pinggu District, Beijing. With a designed treatment capacity of 31,000 cubic meters per day, the project leverages the enterprise’s independently developed fifth-generation super-magnetic separation core technology to achieve rapid water purification.

Against conventional water treatment technologies, the process cuts land occupation by 80% and greatly shortens construction cycles, enabling efficient response to river overflow, sudden water pollution and other emergency water environment incidents.

Following the site visit, a special technical exchange forum was convened. CECEP gave a systematic presentation on its full-spectrum water environment technology portfolio, including MBBR processes, sulfur autotrophic denitrification and mobile super-magnetic water purification units, with a special focus on containerized modular water treatment equipment featuring high integration and strong adaptability to transoceanic transportation. Participants held in-depth discussions on core topics including equipment optimization for tropical high-temperature operating conditions and lightweight operation and maintenance models for small-scale water treatment stations.

III. Visit to Modular Equipment Manufacturer – Verifying the Adaptability of Prefabricated Water Plants for South Asian Markets

From June 22 to 23, the research team conducted a two-day in-depth research tour of Jiangsu Taiyuan Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Senior management of the enterprise accompanied the delegation throughout the visit. A business forum was held on the evening of the first day, where both sides exchanged preliminary cooperation concepts and aligned development priorities against Sri Lanka’s practical demands for urban and rural water supply upgrading.

On the morning of June 23, Jiangsu Taiyuan Environmental Protection presented its self-developed TIMP stainless steel modular water purification system, applicable to rural drinking water purification, municipal wastewater treatment and emergency water pollution response scenarios. The research team toured the enterprise’s intelligent manufacturing base to observe the complete production workflow of modular water treatment equipment. In the afternoon, the delegation inspected a prefabricated wastewater expansion project in Zhangjiagang. Academician Weragoda closely examined the full implementation system covering equipment anti-corrosion technologies, sludge disposal pathways, modular assembly and simplified operation and maintenance.

IV. Exchange with Comprehensive Engineering Service Provider – Joint Discussion on Cooperation Models for Large-Scale Water EPC Projects

On June 25, the research team visited China National Engineering Research Institute for Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. for specialized technical and business exchanges. The delegation first toured the comprehensive exhibition hall of SINOMACH Group to gain a systematic overview of the group’s global layout of large-scale water projects and typical cases of overseas project implementation.

Chen Jian, General Manager of China National Engineering Research Institute for Environmental Technology, led heads of the R&D, marketing and project operation departments to attend the meeting. He comprehensively introduced the company’s full-chain integrated EPC service system covering investment, construction and operation of water environment projects, and shared the enterprise’s practical experience in delivering large-scale water conservancy and environmental projects across South and Southeast Asia. Participants exchanged extensive views on segmented areas including EPC for large water plants, construction of water supply pipeline networks, supply of complete water treatment equipment and long-term operation and maintenance services, clarifying multi-layered cooperation pathways.

During the research tour, Academician Weragoda systematically interpreted Sri Lanka’s 2026–2030 Five-Year Water Development Plan. The country is accelerating the expansion of urban and rural water supply pipeline coverage, advancing key initiatives including renewal of aging pipe networks, construction of new water plants and comprehensive control of pipeline leakage. It is in urgent need of Chinese institutions with full-cycle overseas project delivery capabilities to participate in international tenders and joint development initiatives.

Academician Weragoda repeatedly elaborated on the vast market potential of Sri Lanka’s water environment sector. In line with the medium and long-term development blueprint released by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, the country will continuously expand urban and rural water supply infrastructure and build new municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, releasing a steady pipeline of international competitive bidding projects.

Sri Lanka’s water environment projects mainly follow two implementation models: government-led PPP frameworks and tenders financed by Asian Development Bank loans, backed by sound policy and funding guarantee systems. Academician Weragoda expressed hopes to leverage ACEF’s platform to introduce advanced technologies and complete equipment such as low-carbon ANAMMOX denitrification and modular water plants, launch livelihood demonstration projects covering industrial pollution abatement and safe rural water supply, and advance the sustainable development of Sri Lanka’s water resources.

Building a Two-Way Exchange Bridge: July Economic and Trade Mission to Sri Lanka Ready for Departure

Shi Xiang, Deputy Director of the Belt and Road Eco-Industry Cooperation Working Committee under ACEF, stated that inviting Sri Lanka’s top water experts to visit domestic environmental enterprises constitutes a key initiative to operationalize the two-way linkage mechanism of “introducing advanced technologies and supporting enterprises to go global”. On-site verification of the local adaptability of core technologies including ANAMMOX and prefabricated water treatment solutions by overseas experts can effectively mitigate market assessment risks for Chinese enterprises investing in Sri Lanka, laying a solid foundation for precise alignment with local project demands.

ACEF plans to organize a special delegation to visit Sri Lanka in July. The mission will engage local investment authorities, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and leading domestic engineering enterprises, conduct field surveys of reserved water supply, wastewater and solid waste projects, showcase Chinese environmental technologies tailored to local operating conditions, systematically study local industrial support policies, tendering rules and project budget frameworks, and sustain a long-term platform for dialogue and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka’s green environmental industries.

This series of research visits has established a multi-party collaborative framework linking Sri Lanka’s national water authority, top-tier domestic water environment research institutions and Chinese environmental enterprises.

Moving forward, ACEF will collaborate with the China-Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology to launch a nationwide call for submissions for the Catalogue of Water Environment Governance Technologies and Equipment for Promotion in Sri Lanka. The catalogue precisely targets official project reserves across all Sri Lankan provinces, covering municipal public bidding, special procurement by water authorities, environmental supporting facilities for industrial parks, and urban-rural water supply governance. All selected advanced technologies, complete sets of equipment and integrated treatment solutions will be promoted as premium Chinese green environmental achievements to government departments, water management authorities and state-owned and private market entities throughout Sri Lanka, opening up full-chain cooperation channels spanning technology localization, project matching and equipment supply.

ACEF will continue to leverage its role as a pivotal platform to empower outstanding Chinese enterprises to deepen their presence in Sri Lanka, jointly advance the Green Belt and Road Initiative, build an innovation demonstration benchmark integrating industry, university, research and application in China-Sri Lanka water sector cooperation, and drive the large-scale expansion of China’s advanced water environment technologies and complete equipment across South Asian markets.