The Lenzing Group’s CEO Stefan Doboczky has announced that the company will invest EUR 100 million in expansion and modernisation of the company’s existing dissolving wood pulp production at the sites in Lenzing, Austria, and Paskov, Czech Republic.

Around EUR 60 million of the investment will go to the Lenzing site and almost EUR 40 million – to Paskov. Additional new capacities of around 35,000 tons will be added over the next 2.5 years.

“With these investments, we are taking another step in the implementation of our new corporate strategy sCore TEN,” said Stefan Doboczky. “We aim to increase our own dissolving wood pulp production from currently 56% to 75% of the group’s requirements for the production of botanic cellulose fibres by the end of the decade. The modernisation will lead to more efficiency of our plants. The upgrade and expansion of our bio-refinery setup will underline Lenzing’s leadership as the most sustainable fibre producer.”

Quality strategy

Lenzing’s bio-refinery concept is based on using only certified wood from countries in Western and Central Europe. It is an essential part of Lenzing’s mission to turn CO2 and sunlight into high value fibres, as it aims to ensure that 100% of the wood components are used to produce fibres, bio-chemicals and bio-energy.

This investment is also an essential part of Lenzing’s quality strategy, as the high quality of the company’s botanic fibres depends on the quality of the dissolving wood pulp.

Other investments

In August 2016, Lenzing announced a capacity expansion for specialty fibres of 35,000 tons by mid-2018. Roughly EUR 70 million will be invested in the site in Heiligenkreuz, Burgenland, and approximately EUR 30 million in Lenzing, Upper Austria, as part of this project. The new pulp investment programme will be implemented in addition to these investments.

These investments are yet another long-term commitment of the Lenzing Group to the Austrian production sites. In the next 2.5 years, Lenzing will therefore invest a total of EUR 160 million in Austria.

www.lenzing.com