Lenzing has announcd the track record for its latest Tencel fiber production in Upper Austria during the initial six-month ramp-up phase has been positive.

“The plant has already successfully operated at full capacity and in a trouble-free manner for  the past months, and the quality of the manufactured fibers fulfills our high expectations,” says CEO Peter Untersperger. “Our new second generation Tencel fiber production facility is a technological milestone for lyocell technology and proof that we are several years ahead of all our competitors.”

It enables more than 67,000 tons of Tencel fibers to be manufactured p.a. by one jumbo production line. This significantly increases efficiency compared to the existing technology.

Lenzing is still the only company in the world with the ability of implementing the complex lyocell technology on an industrial scale and mastering safety requirements.

“Over the past few years Tencel has secured a permanent place on the market for a whole range of attractive applications”, says Lenzing Management Board member and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Robert van de Kerkhof. “Tencel can exploit its advantages in the apparel, home textile and innovative technical segments. The fiber offers good breathing properties, excellent wearing comfort, high fiber strength and above all its environmentally-compatible production on the basis of the natural raw material, wood. For these reasons TENCEL® is also the premium cellulose fiber of the future,” he adds.
 
Lenzing will continue to fully concentrate on Tencel in the coming years.

“We are continuously developing this market. Our technological know-how will also help us to open up new markets”, van de Kerkhof says.

For this reason, Tencel is and will remain a top research and development priority at Lenzing. In the past five years, Lenzing spent around €100 million on research in lyocell technology. Lenzing has already been operating several pilot lyocell facilities at the Lenzing site for 25 years. If demand for Tencel fibers continues to develop as satisfactorily as expected, the Lenzing Group will likely construct an additional Tencel jumbo production plant based on this proven technology in the medium term.  

As of the end of 2014, total annual Tencel production capacity is 220,000 tons manufactured in Lenzing and Heiligenkreuz, Austria, Mobile, AL and Grimsby, U.K.