Kuura textile fibre is a new product developed by Metsä Group, in which Finnish wood is converted into a unique textile fibre with high added value — without fossil fuels.

Metsä Group Starts Pre-engineering of Kuura Textile Fibre Mill in Finland

Feb. 26, 2025 - Metsä Group has started pre-engineering of the first commercial Kuura textile fibre mill in Finland.

Kuura textile fibre is produced from softwood pulp.

The pre-engineering of the Kuura mill is expected to continue until the summer of 2026. The project entity that has now started consists of four parts: pre-engineering of the first commercial mill, the development of the Kuura fibre production process, work done with customers to facilitate market entry.

The application for an environmental permit is part of the factory's pre-engineering package.

Kuura textile fibre is a new product developed by Metsä Group, in which Finnish wood is converted into a unique textile fibre with high added value — without fossil fuels. Such textile fibres can be used to make both clothing and a variety of technical textiles.

According to a recent study, Kuura's climate impact is significantly lower than that of competing fibres.

Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring, said that the pre-study gave promising results, which makes the Kuura project look promising, which is why the decision was made to move on to the next stage.

"According to a recent study, the global warming impact of Kuura fibre is significantly lower than that of competing products when life-cycle emissions are taken into account," von Weymarn explained. "The good results are explained by the fact that the industrial production of Kuura would be linked to a Metsä Group's bioproduct mill, which does not use fossil energy. The outcome of the study will give a boost to further development."

In 2020, Metsä Group reached a significant milestone in the development of new textile fibres, when a demo plant was started up in Äänekoski, Finland. Following modifications in late 2022 and early 2023, testing and development work at the demo plant are well underway.

The pre-engineering project aims to provide all the necessary information and expertise to enable Metsä Group, eventually, to consider launching the Kuura business. If the company decides to build the mill, it is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of textile fibre per year.

The mill would be started up in Finland no earlier than in 2029.

Metsä Group uses wood to make recyclable products for the day-to-day lives of millions of people globally. The Group focuses on wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.

SOURCE: Metsä Group