The firm, a subsidiary of Lankem Ceylon PLC, said in a statement the facility consists of an underground petro chemical storage facility, along with an inter-connected blending and drumming plant.

"The first phase of the new factory consists of a warehouse which exceeds more than 4000 sq ft of secure storage, a modern blending plant as well as a drum yard with a storage capacity of more than 5000 drums at any given time," Director Lankem Ceylon Ruwan T Weerasinghe said.

"This translates into a 300 percent increase of our current capacity. It enables us to supply customers islandwide with quality chemicals that are manufactured and blended to international quality standards."

Lankem Chemical said it is the largest importer of solvents representing multinationals like Dupont and Akzo Nobel and the largest manufacturer of thinner in Sri Lanka.