HELSINKI -- Valmet will supply drying technology to Spinnova-Suzano joint venture textile fibre factory in Jyväskylä, Finland. The facility, producing SPINNOVA® fibre, is the first step towards scaling production volumes to one million tonnes annually within ten years. Spinnova's annual capacity could be 50,000 tonnes of textile fibre by 2024.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the second quarter 2021. The value of the order will not be disclosed.

Spinnova and Suzano recently announced their 22-million-euro investment to build the first commercial scale SPINNOVA® fibre production facility in Finland. SPINNOVA® fibre is a sustainable natural textile fibre produced from cellulose or waste streams without involving any harmful chemicals, with minimal water use and emissions, and zero waste. The construction of the factory has already been started in Jyväskylä and it is expected to be completed at the end of 2022.

In the joint venture, Spinnova is the exclusive technology provider, while Suzano ensures the supply of the needed raw material, certified micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC). Spinnova has sought a technology partner that can globally support its scaling plans and has chosen Valmet to provide the drying technology for its first commercial production line. Valmet provides the customer with drying machines with high-technology air dryers. The technology is utilized already today in paper and board making, and it is now adapted to the cellulose based textile fibre production.

"We at Valmet want to support our customer's journeys in converting renewable resources into sustainable results. It is really exciting as this delivery is an excellent example of our strong focus on creating new technological innovations, and how we can create new opportunities in the fibre-based industry. We can use our existing technologies, and our know-how is essential when scaling up the production. We are constantly developing new products and technologies, too," says Jari Vähäpesola, Valmet's Paper Business Line President.

"We have created a modular technology that is easy to scale and set up around the world. That's why we can also scale according to the pace of demand, instead of having to take a big risk at every scale, as is the case with complex chemical processes. Valmet is a good partner in this project due to their proven technology and long experience on scaling up processes," explains Janne Poranen, Spinnova's CEO and co-founder.

"The first factory is a great start to realizing the vast, global opportunity of this innovation. We believe the Spinnova Technology will be highly scalable, and we support the ambition to ramp up the production in our joint venture to more than one million tons annual volume of SPINNOVA® fibre within 10 years," says Vinicius Nonino, Suzano's New Business Executive Officer.