uniquely sustainable botanic-fibre solutions

The Lenzing Group is a global leader in the development and manufacture of botanic fibres derived from wood. Its latest €100 million investment in unique, sustainable solutions extends further its technological leadership, as Philip Yorke reports.

The Lenzing Group was founded in Lenzing, Austria over 80 years ago and has grown to become a global market leader in the production of wood-based cellulosic fibres. The company has production facilities located in all major international markets and a worldwide network of distributors and sales agents. It provides the world’s textile and nonwovens industries with the highest quality, sustainably produced botanic fibres, and is the premier supplier to most of the world’s business-to-business industries.

In December 2018 the Lenzing Group filed 25 new patent applications which represents the first wave of patent applications for its new Lenzing Web Technology®. This focuses on sustainable production processes and unique applications for nonwoven fabrics made of its 100 per cent continuous Lyocel filament. This latest technology provides a unique self-bonding mechanism where filaments bond directly into a fabric during the laydown process. This new Lenzing process allows for a much wider variety of basis weight, surface textures and dimensional stability than any other nonwoven technology in existence today.

The development of new Lenzing web filament technology is one of the company’s most exciting R&D projects. The 25 patents relating to this new technology underscores the company’s commitment to the fast-growing nonwoven industry.

The Lenzing Group is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and currently employs more than 5000 people worldwide. In 2017 the group recorded consolidated sales of over €3.1 billion.

expanding production capabilities

Due to the strong global demand for Lenzing’s TENCEL® Luxe filament yarn, the group established another milestone as a specialist in the manufacture of the highest quality products made from the renewable raw material: wood. Lenzing plans to invest around €30 million in a further pilot line at the company’s extensive head office site in Lenzing, Austria, with the basic engineering for construction of the new facility has already been initiated.

“Thanks to the huge success of TENCEL® Luxe the company is currently positioning itself in the premium luxury market and is embedding its sustainability processes in combination with its superior aesthetics,” said Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lenzing Group. “The fine filament yarn is comparable to natural silk due to its airy feeling on the skin and its unique matt finish. It is therefore perfectly suited for very fine fabrics made exclusively from this yarn and as a blending partner with silk, cashmere and wool.”

The company told Industry Europe that the decision to construct an entirely new line will serve as the basis for generating a three-fold

increase in capacity compared to previous output. The additional manufacturing capacity will be available towards the end of 2019. The Lenzing headquarters site was selected because research and technological know-how in plant construction are connected, which in turn will enable the company to develop the product further.

The company added that a strong level of demand is further evidence of the group’s innovative strength. “This exciting, sophisticated yarn is already opening up new markets for the company in the eco-couture sector, thus contributing to the successful implementation of the group’s on-going ‘sCore TEN’ strategy for growth,” the spokesman said.

New joint-venture milestone

Another new milestone was reached recently, when the Lenzing Group and Duratex announced their agreement on the terms and conditions to form a joint venture to build the largest, single line dissolving wood pulp (DWP) plant in the world. Dissolving wood pulp is the key raw material for the production of Lenzing’s bio-based range of sustainable fibres. For the future operation, the two companies have secured a plantation comprised of more than 43,000 hectares, which will provide the FSC® certified raw biomass product for the company’s expansion programme.

The giant DWP plant will be located in the state of Minas Gerais, a province of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This decision supports the company’s backward-integration and global growth in speciality fibres, as defined in its corporate strategy, sCoreTEN. The deal will mean that Lenzing will hold 51 per cent of the joint venture, whilst Duratex’s share will be 49 per cent. The estimated cash investment created by the joint venture for the construction of the state-of-the-art DWP mill is expected to be in the region of one billion US dollars.

The new plant will supply the entire volume of dissolving wood pulp required by the Lenzing Group. This bold step is an essential milestone in the Lenzing Group’s ambition to grow its speciality fibres business worldwide. “Speciality cellulosic fibres form an important contribution to making the global textile industry more sustainable. In line with its corporate strategy, the company is committed to strong organic growth in this field. We are pleased that with Duratex, a recognised leader in sustainable forestry management, we have a strong partner in this joint venture. Together we will create a very sustainable and competitive raw material base for Lenzing’s global expansion plans,” commented Stefan Doboczky, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group.

For many years, Lenzing has been committed to a programme of optimisation for its diverse range of products and production processes as well as for the protection of the environment at all levels. The company’s remarkable catalogue of innovative processes and products are too many to include in this article, however for further information concerning the Lenzing Group’s innovative, sustainable products and processes. n Visit: www.lenzing.com