What Haycarb does

Haycarb PLC is a publicly listed Sri Lankan manufacturer and global marketer of coconut shell-based activated carbon, founded in 1973 and operating as a member of the Hayleys Group diversified conglomerate. The company produces granular, powdered, extruded, and impregnated activated carbon grades, plus proprietary thermal regeneration services that restore spent carbon to over 97% of original adsorption capacity. Its core technology platform spans a 58,500+ metric tonne annual production base, a dedicated Centre of Innovation with electrochemical and analytical testing infrastructure (ICP-MS, ISE, Arbin, Gamry, MBRAUN), and emerging proprietary advanced carbon materials — hard carbon, supercapacitor carbon, and silicon-carbon composites — targeting sodium-ion, lithium-ion, and supercapacitor applications.

The company serves enterprise customers across at least nine application verticals: water treatment (drinking water and industrial wastewater), air and gas purification (including a 16% global market share in mercury control), gold recovery, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical, automotive cabin air filtration, nuclear containment, CBRN personal protection, and chemical processing. Haycarb generates revenue through direct product sales of carbon, thermal regeneration services at its ISO 9001/14001-certified CK Regen facility in Thailand, environmental engineering and water/wastewater EPC plus BOT projects through its wholly-owned Puritas subsidiary (established 1995, over 500 projects delivered in Sri Lanka and the Maldives), and a small consumer-facing product line (Mr Fresh, Bin Fresh, Clipit, Fresko, Hydrocove).

Go-to-market is executed through a multi-country direct enterprise sales motion with regional subsidiaries in the USA (Oakdale, PA), UK (Bristol), and Australia (Wheelers Hill), supported by technical consultation, sample testing, and customized formulation development. Distribution is supported by strategically located global warehouses and an eight-language corporate website (English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Turkish). The company is publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (HAYC.N0000), with operations spanning seven countries.

Name

Haycarb

Legal name

Haycarb PLC

Website

https://haycarb.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Haycarb PLC is a publicly listed Sri Lankan manufacturer of coconut shell-based activated carbon serving global enterprise customers in water treatment, air/gas purification, gold recovery, energy storage, pharmaceutical, and specialty applications through owned subsidiaries in the USA, UK, and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Activated Carbon Manufacturing

NAICS

Cyclic Crude, Intermediate, and Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing (325194)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Activated Carbon & Carbon Adsorbents (IMAEAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adsorption & Taste/Odor Control (GAC/PAC, Air Stripping) (EUANABAF), Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK), Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM), Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications (EUABAFAC), Biochar, Activated Carbon & Soil Amendments (from forest biomass) (IMAMALAH)

Keywords

• Activated carbon manufacturing
• Water treatment solutions
• Air gas purification
• Carbon regeneration services
• Environmental engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Activated Carbon Products: Manufacturing and sale of coconut shell-based activated carbon products for water treatment, air/gas purification, food & beverage processing, gold recovery, pharmaceutical, automotive, and specialty applications. Products include granular activated carbon (GAC), powdered carbon, extruded pellets, and impregnated carbons.
2. Carbon Regeneration Services: Thermal regeneration services that restore spent activated carbon to over 97% of original adsorption capacity, providing cost-effective and sustainable alternatives to disposal. Operates from ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified facility in Thailand.
3. Environmental Engineering Solutions: Water and wastewater purification solutions through subsidiary Puritas, including design-build, EPC, and BOT projects for municipalities, industries, and commercial facilities in Sri Lanka and Maldives.
4. Value-Added Consumer Products: Odor removal products including Mr Fresh, Bin Fresh, Clipit, and Fresko brands, as well as Hydrocove tap-to-cup purified water solutions.
5. System Design and Engineering: Engineering support, technical consultation, systems design, and installation of regeneration systems on-site. Includes operator training for customers to operate systems efficiently.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Haycarb manufactures and globally markets coconut shell-based activated carbon in granular, powdered, extruded pellet, and impregnated forms for water treatment, air and gas purification, gold recovery, pharmaceutical, energy storage, automotive, nuclear, and specialty applications. The company also provides thermal carbon regeneration services, environmental engineering and water solutions through subsidiary Puritas, R&D and advanced analytical testing via its Centre of Innovation, and customized carbon solutions developed in collaboration with customers.

Product overview

Haycarb PLC is a global manufacturer and marketer of coconut shell-based activated carbon with over 50 years of experience. The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered on its core activated carbon technology, serving diverse industries including water treatment (drinking water and industrial wastewater), air and gas purification, gold recovery, energy storage (hard carbon, supercapacitor carbon, and silicon-carbon composites for batteries), automotive, pharmaceutical, chemical processing, nuclear, and specialty applications. The product line includes commodity-grade activated carbon for standard purification, specialty grades for demanding applications like nuclear and pharmaceutical use, and advanced energy storage materials. Services include research and development, carbon regeneration, environmental engineering, and operational solutions. The company maintains global operations through subsidiaries in Sri Lanka (Puritas for water solutions), Thailand (CK Regen for regeneration), and offices in the USA, UK, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Puritas: Water and wastewater purification solutions brand providing environmental engineering services, operating as a fully-owned subsidiary of Haycarb.
• Mr Fresh
• Bin Fresh
• Clipit
• Fresko
• Hydrocove

Products and services

• Coconut Shell Activated Carbon Premium activated carbon derived from coconut shell feedstock, offering superior adsorption properties. Available in granular (GAC), powdered, extruded pellet, and impregnated forms for water, air, and industrial applications.
• Hard Carbon for Energy Storage Hard carbon material extracted from coconut shell charcoal for sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery applications, with enhanced energy density and cycle life through proprietary processing.
• Supercapacitor Carbon Carbon material with a unique pore structure designed for supercapacitor applications, providing low equivalent series resistance (ESR) and high specific capacitance for fast charge-discharge cycles.
• Carbon for Silicon-Carbon Composite Materials Premium carbon material engineered for silicon-carbon composite anodes in lithium-ion batteries, optimized for superior efficiency and extended cycle life.
• Gold Recovery Carbon Premium-grade activated carbon designed for optimal adsorption in gold cyanidation processes used by mining operators for precious metal extraction.
• Catalyst Support Carbon Coconut shell-based activated carbon for catalyst support applications in chemical production, PVC manufacturing, and plasticizer industries, available in standard, granular, and acid-washed grades.
• Nuclear Industry Carbon Activated carbon products for nuclear power plant containment systems, including radioactive iodine and methyl iodide removal, and noble gas delay beds for capturing radioactive gases and vapors.
• Cigarette Filter Carbon Specially processed coconut shell-based premium activated carbon for cigarette filters, capturing harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and VOCs from cigarette smoke.
• Automotive Cabin Air Filter Carbon High-performance activated carbon for vehicle cabin air filters, removing VOCs, toluene, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from vehicle ventilation systems with superior butane adsorption capacity.
• Personal Protection Carbon Activated carbon for respirators, masks, and CBRN protection equipment, available in standard and impregnated grades for A, B, E, K, ABE, and ABEK type respirators.
• Pharmaceutical Grade Carbon Ultra-high purity activated carbon for pharmaceutical applications including active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) purification, antidote use, and medical detoxification, compliant with European Pharmacopoeia and FCC standards.
• Chemical Industry Carbon Activated carbon solutions for chemical processing including fertilizer production, organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, and polymer manufacturing for purification and decolorization.
• Customized Activated Carbon Products Custom carbon solutions developed through technical discussion, site visits, and sample testing to meet specific customer application requirements across diverse industries.
• Thermal Carbon Regeneration Services Thermal regeneration services that restore spent activated carbon to over 97% of original adsorption capacity, providing a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to disposal. Operated from the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified CK Regen facility in Thailand.
• Puritas Environmental Engineering Solutions Water and wastewater purification solutions through subsidiary Puritas, including design-build, EPC, and BOT projects for municipalities, industries, and commercial facilities in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Over 500 projects completed.
• Hydrocove Water Purifier Innovative plug-and-play water purifier offering purified drinking water in hot, ambient, and cold modes, developed by subsidiary Puritas.
• Research & Development Services R&D services including product development, process improvement, advanced testing, and analytical capabilities such as ICP-MS, ISE analysis, adsorption capacity evaluation, and electrochemical performance evaluation at the Centre of Innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon regeneration restores over 97% of original adsorption capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Puritas (Pvt) LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Wholly-owned subsidiary of Haycarb PLC and Hayleys Group company established in 1995. Provides water and wastewater purification solutions for municipalities, industries, and commercial facilities. Has completed over 500 projects in Sri Lanka and Maldives and serves as the company's forward integration into environmental engineering systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jacobi Carbons: Global activated carbon producer (coconut shell, coal, wood based) serving water, air, food, pharma and gold recovery — directly comparable to Haycarb's product portfolio and recognized as a major European competitor by BIS Research.
• Calgon Carbon Corporation (Kuraray): Largest US activated carbon manufacturer, now a subsidiary of Kuraray. Competes head-to-head with Haycarb in granular and powdered activated carbon for water, air, and mercury control, and is the cited 10% mercury-control share competitor.
• Carbon Activated Corporation: US-based activated carbon supplier and reactivation provider with similar product breadth across water, air, food, pharma and mining. Closely mirrors Haycarb's commodity-plus-services go-to-market model.
• Silcarbon Aktivkohle GmbH: German manufacturer of activated carbon from coconut, coal, and wood, focused on water and air purification as well as specialty applications. Direct mid-sized peer to Haycarb's European business.
• Donau Carbon GmbH: European activated carbon and reactivation specialist serving water and industrial gas purification. Direct peer to Haycarb, especially in regeneration services, and named alongside Haycarb as a major European player.
• Cabot Corporation (Norit Activated Carbon): Acquired Norit, one of the world's largest activated carbon producers. Overlaps with Haycarb in municipal/industrial water, air purification, and food/pharma applications.
• General Carbon Corporation: US-based activated carbon manufacturer and reactivation service provider serving water treatment, food & beverage, and industrial processes. Comparable distribution and regeneration profile to Haycarb's North American and Thai operations.
• Chemviron Carbon: European activated carbon manufacturer and reactivation services provider (part of Calgon Carbon/Kuraray group). Closely comparable to Haycarb's core activated carbon and regeneration offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Kuraray Co., Ltd. Diversified Japanese chemicals parent of Calgon Carbon. Competes broadly with Haycarb in carbon materials and is the principal scaled incumbent Haycarb benchmarks against in mercury control.

Emerging players

• BTR New Material Group: Leading Chinese anode materials supplier with hard carbon and silicon-carbon composite offerings for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. Direct emerging competitor to Haycarb's energy storage carbon business, with significant cost advantages at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/haycarbplc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haycarb