Fortum invests in Infinited Fiber Company to manufacture cotton-like fibers from cellulosic materials

In Finland, Fortum has complemented its biorefining value chain by investing in the Finnish start-up Infinited Fiber Company Ltd. (IFC). The company develops and will license technology that is used to manufacture cotton-like fiber for the textile industry from recycled fiber and cellulose. After the investment Fortum has approximately four per cent ownership of the company.

One of Fortum’s four strategic priorities is to build options for significant new businesses. Bioeconomy is a natural option due to its synergies with the company’s current business and the mission to improve resource efficiency.

The technology provided by IFC processes fiber from biomass and recycled material in a manner similar to cotton. The resulting fiber is ready for use in the textile industry and can replace environmentally harmful virgin cotton and viscose cost-efficiently and using considerably less water and chemicals in the process. The process can be done repeatedly without compromising the quality of the fiber.

In turn, Fortum has piloted fractioning technologies that separate cellulose and other components from biomass for further refining, resulting in higher purity of fractions than in the traditional pulp and biofuel processes. The investment in IFC offers Fortum natural access to sustainable fiber and also textile manufacturing partners, the next steps in the industry value chain.