Cellulosic fibre producer Lenzing Group is planning a EUR120m (US$164m) investment to expand its production capacities for the Tencel and Lenzing Modal brands in both Europe and Asia.
The projects will include expansion of its pulp supply and an increase in the Modal production capacity in Lenzing (Austria), a significant expansion of its site in Heiligenkreuz (Austria), and the reconstruction its UK Tencel site to double its capacity. The projects are set to be completed by 2011.
The company says the investment comes on the heels of new applications for its specialty fibres, including children’s, sports and professional clothing.
This is partly due to what Dieter Eichinger, the head of the Textile Fibers business unit, describes as the ‘Cellulosic Gap.’
“Due to the world’s population explosion, areas of land used for cotton cultivation are directly competing with land used to cultivate foodstuffs,” he explains. “This fact will lead to a further rise in cellulose fibres since fibres based on crude oil will not be able to satisfy the demand for skin-friendly fibres. As a result, we expect moisture-managing cellulose fibres to be increasingly in demand in the future.”
Lenzing’s fibre innovations include three man-made cellulose fibres: Lenzing Viscose (commodity used in knits and wovens); Tencell lyocell (used in denims and activewear); and Lenzing Modal (used in intimates and sportswear).
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