Lenzing invests in China and Indonesian plants

The Lenzing Group is investing more than €200 million in its factories in Purwakarta in Indonesia and Nanjing in China, to turn existing standard viscose power into environmentally-friendly specialty fibers.

In Nanjing, the company will construct China’s first wood-based fiber complex, which will be electricity independent of coal. Lenzing can cut CO2 pollution at the site by more than 200,000 tonnes by using natural gas-based cogeneration. A line of standard viscose will be upgraded to produce 35,000 tonnes of Tencel at the same time, transforming the facility into a 100% wood-based specialty fiber project by the end of 2022.

In Purwakarta, Lenzing can limit CO2 emissions by increasing the use of biogenic fuels. At the end of 2022, this plant will be completely compliant with the EU Ecolabel thanks to further investments to limit pollution to the air and water. Standard viscose capability can be converted into Ecovero labeled fibers for clothing applications and Viscose Eco for personal care and hygiene products as a result of this. As a result, the site in Indonesia will also become a pure specialty viscose supplier by 2023.

Both investments are in line with Lenzing’s goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of output by 50 percent by 2030.

The Lenzing Group will be able to decrease CO2 emissions by more than 320,000 tonnes by eliminating or limiting the use of fossil fuels at both sites. Furthermore, the investments allow Lenzing to reduce gross sulfur emissions by more than half relative to 2019.

CEO of the Lenzing Group, Stefan Doboczky, said they are leaders in the entire manufacturing industry, especially in the fiber market, with their aggressive climate goals for a zero-carbon future. These investments are a significant step toward their 2024 strategic goals.