14 December 2009, Lenzing - The Lenzing Group, market leader
in cellulose fibres, will continue to expand production capacity in 2010 by
investing a scheduled EUR 120 million its European and Asian sites. The projects
will be realized over the next two years. The key elements are the further
extension of pulp production at the Lenzing site (Upper Austria) and a further
extension of fibre production at Heiligenkreuz (Burgenland, Austria) as well as
remodelling the Tencel site at Grimsby (UK).
Peter Untersperger, Chairman of the Lenzing Management Board,
comments on these latest strategic decisions: “We are expecting continuing
strong demand for Lenzing fibres over the coming years. By these projects we as
the world market leader intend to secure and enhance our lead in terms of
quantity as well as quality. And the message is clear: the Lenzing Group is
going to shape fibre future jointly with its customers”.
In a couple of weeks the fourth production line of the Indonesian
subsidiary PT. South Pacific Viscose (SPV) will go operational. After two years
of construction activity and a total investment of about USD 150 million, fibre
production capacity will be increased from about 160,000 to 220,000 tons per
year. Friedrich Weninger, Management Board member in charge of fibre
production, notes:
“Already today we expect that demand will exceed Indonesian
production capacity. We will therefore begin with debottlenecking production
right after start-up, with the aim to increase SPV production capacity by
another 18,000 tons to 238,000 tons per year”.
In the special fibres sector Lenzing plans to expand
production at the Tencel site at Heiligenkreuz (Austria) by 10,000 tons to
60,000 tons per year. Friedrich Weninger says: “The market has fully come to
realize the superior quality of our Tencel special fibre for lingerie as well
as for home textile applications. Exports of Tencel fibres from Heiligenkreuz
to China, South Korea and India just keep on growing.“
The company’s Tencel site in Grimsby, UK will be remodelled to
produce a novel Tencel special fibre. The site for the production of special fibres
at Lenzing, the biggest fibre producer of the Lenzing Group, will be enhanced
by an eco-friendly ozone bleach facility for pulp production in 2010 as part of
its continuous expansion, thereby maintaining the current degree of self supply
despite increasing fibre production. In addition, pulp production will be
increased to an annual capacity of 260,000 tons.
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