JYVÄSKYLÄ – Spinnova and Suzano – the world’s largest wood pulp producer – will make an estimated €22 million investment to build the first commercial scale Spinnova production facility in Finland.
The total investment, including all needed infrastructure such as real estate, is estimated to be some €50 million. Spinnova’s sustainable fibre, created out of wood and waste without the use of harmful chemicals, will be available for global textile and nonwovens brands in 2022.
The new, industrial scale production unit will be located in Jyväskylä, Finland, home of Spinnova’s R&D hub and pilot facility. Production will be managed and operated by a new joint venture company owned 50/50 by Spinnova and, Suzano.
“Every leading textile brand is looking for ways to minimise their emissions and ecological footprint, and build a circular material foundation for their products,” says Spinnova’s CEO and co-founder Janne Poranen. “We feel humble and proud that soon we will shortly be able to provide brands with our new, disruptively sustainable fibre and fabrics.”
Suzano, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil is a world leader in the production of eucalyptus pulp and has expanded its operations to create sustainable solutions derived from trees. In the joint venture, Spinnova will be the exclusive technology provider, while Suzano will ensure the supply of sustainably produced micro-fibrillated cellulose obtained from eucalyptus planted by Suzano in Brazil. The fibre produced will be sold under the Spinnova trademark
“Suzano uses only planted trees in its production processes,” says its chief technology and innovation officer, Fernando Bertolucci. “This renewable raw material is being combined with Spinnova’s technology for producing fibres that are more sustainable than the options currently available in the textile industry, which is aligned with the demands of contemporary society.”
With a process that uses no harmful chemicals and 99% less water than the cotton value chain, Spinnova fibre creates minimal CO2 emissions, is quickly biodegradable and contains no microplastics. The fact that these fibres can be recycled into a new fibre again and again makes the fibre disruptively circular. The technology enables tfibre production from wood but also from textile waste or agricultural waste such as wheat or barley straw.
H&M collaboration
Spinnova materials have been developed in collaboration with leading fashion brands such as Danish clothing company Bestseller, Finnish fashion house Marimekko, and Norwegian outdoor brand Bergans. The H&M Group has now has joined this group.
“Our ambition is to become fully circular, and we are continuously testing and actively looking to further integrate the use of sustainable materials,” said Mattias Bodin, head of H&M’s Circular Innovation Lab. “We see Spinnova as having great potential to address several of the sustainability challenges we face today.”
Most leading apparel brands are committed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Since the cradle to gate emissions of Spinnova fibre are considerably less than those of cotton, it’s a radical improvement to existing textile fibres. Spinnova’s fibre already works well in blends with other natural fibres, especially cotton. In big volumes, Spinnova blends alone could have a big positive environmental impact.
The company expects to fill the new factory’s production capacity during this year.