Karen McIntyre, Editor03.31.22
As the world comes out of the Coronavirus pandemic, faced with greater need for products like disinfectant wipes, investment throughout the supply chain continues to be strong—not just in traditional markets like North America and Western Europe but in new areas like Romania, Belarus and Uzbekistan thanks not just to increased demand but to trade and shipping issues that have made localized production necessary.
“Producers who usually dedicated their rolls to the export market have had to face an unprecedented increase in the sea freight shipping rates. In order to remain competitive, these companies have decided to build plants in Europe in order to be closer to the market and address the local demand,” says Andre Michalon, sales director, Andritz Perfojet France.
These new lines not only provide localized production for converters, they also respond to increasing demand for spunlace nonwovens.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, the demand boomed, especially for disinfecting products as they were in short supply,” adds Arnaud LaRoche, head of sales, Andritz Perfojet France. “Most manufacturers then had to increase their existing capacity and decided to make new investments to meet the demand. In the meantime, however, converters were starting to experience difficulties because the supply of spunlace rolls on the market was running out. As a result, they also decided to invest in spunlace lines to secure their sourcing.”
Already in 2022, lines have been announced in Ukraine and Uzbekistan, both from companies that are new to nonwovens manufacturing.
In Ukraine, Biosphere, a leading manufacturer of household and hygiene products, has invested in an Andritz-supplied spunlace line, which will enable the company to produce fabrics from 30 to 70 gsm, with an hourly output of up to 3000 kilograms after the second commissioning phase. Start-up is scheduled in two stages – the first one in the first quarter of 2022 and the second in early 2023, when it will reach full production capacity.
The high-capacity spunlace line will double the company’s current production capacity and is designed to process various types of fibers, such as polyester/viscose blends and natural fibers. It is dedicated to the production of household, medical and hygiene fabrics, such as cosmetic, disinfecting and baby wipes.
“Our goal is to carry on creating innovative and premium-quality products,” says Andriy Zdesenko, founder and CEO of Biosphere Corporation.
Biosphere was founded in 1997, and is a market leader in the production and distribution of household and hygiene products in Ukraine and the CIS as well a key converter player in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan cotton spinning specialist Texygen Textile LLC has invested in a neXline spunlace nonwovens line, which is the first known spunlace line in the country. Start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.
This line will process high-quality cotton fibers in a fully integrated production line, from bleaching to winding. With this new line, Texygen Textile LLC will be able to produce top-class spunlace wipes made of 100% cotton, thus opening up new market opportunities for both the company and the country.
“We are very proud to be a pioneer in the spunlace industry in our country,” says company owner Rasulov Ikrom. “We have commissioned Andritz to supply our first spunlace line, and their know-how relating to the carding machine, among other units, will enable us to produce premium-quality, nonwoven cotton roll goods.”
While trade issues and freight costs are playing a role in influencing investment, so is traditional market growth. As the wipes market expands in these smaller regions, manufacturers eventually will take the initiative to localize production to supply their own converting needs as well as support external local growth. “It’s terribly hard to predict when the right time to invest is but eventually small scale capacity can be the answer to supporting local needs,” says David Price, industry consultant and principal of Price Hanna Inc.
As these new investments ramp up across the globe, the question will be whether or not the wipes market—or other applications for spunlaced nonwovens—can support them. According to Price, many of these new lines have been founded on the expectation that strong, or even increasing demand, for wipes would continue to exist.
“We believe the motivation to acquire this additional capacity was founded on the expectation that a higher level of demand would continue to exist in a post pandemic world and that investment in advanced technology capable of producing a bundle of sustainable fibers was justifiable,” he says. “We think that demand for disinfectant and cleaning wipes will remain at a level higher and that the use of wipes will be more acceptable and convenient to consumers moving forward. Given these assumptions, we think that additional capacity will enter the market and be utilized to meet both health and sustainability trends.”
According to a report recently issued by Smithers, the global tonnage for spunlace nonwovens is expected to increase from 1.65 million tons last year to 2.38 million tons in 2026. Meanwhile volume will rise from 40 billion square meters to 62.5 billion square meters during the same period, representing an equivalent CAGR of 9.6% as manufacturers introduce lighter base weight nonwovens.
Smithers data shows that wipes (baby care, home care, industrial, personal care) account for around 64.7% of all spunlace media produced in 2021. Through to 2026, the fastest growth rates are forecast for personal care wipes, and adult and toddler moist toilet tissues. Demand in durable applications will be more suppressed; although there will be new market opportunities in consumer hygiene with spunlace presenting a sustainable alternative to competing polyester or polypropylene-based nonwovens in applications such as ultrathin topsheets for feminine hygiene pads.
As the imminent threat of Covid recedes, the leading transformative trend across the first half of the 2020s will be developing more sustainable nonwovens. Generally, this will benefit spunlace producers, as they work towards the goal of developing a fully plastic-free wipe. This driver will continue to receive a stimulus from the EU’s Single-use Plastics Directive, but there is also strong interest from brand owners in polymer-free wipes that can be marketed as premium eco-friendly products. The main route to achieve this is wider use of rayon, lyocell, wood pulp, cotton and other biodegradable fibers, with a corresponding relative decrease in use of spunbond polypropylene and polypropylene fiber.
Investments are also responding to increased need for more sustainable wipes products. In February, the The Albaad Group, a global manufacturer of nonwovens and wet wipes, announced it would invest around €50 million in nonwovens production to allow it to make a wholly sustainable fabric made from natural fibers. The output on this line, which is scheduled to launch in 2023, is also biodegradable, flushable and plastic-free.
“As one of the world’s largest producers of wet wipes and nonwovens, we at Albaad understand and embrace the importance of innovation as an engine that drives growth and we are committed to delivering eco-friendly products of the highest quality in order to create a better world for us to live in,” says Albaad CEO Dan Mesika.
Welspun is also focusing on sustainability with its recently announced spunlace line, which is currently starting up in its Hyderabad, Telangana plant. The line can process various types of synthetic and natural fibers for a number of markets.
“Spunlace manufacturers had already long been experimenting with 100% sustainable products partly or wholly with their portfolio. However, SUP directive in Europe has fast forwarded this process and now from the consumer side there is increased demand of products that are sustainable and that meet all the requirements,” says Tirthankar Mukherjee of Welspun. “On the technology front, the technology providers are also providing various innovations with standalone machine or retrofitting in the existing machine to enable products which can use 100% sustainable plant-based products or in various blend combinations. However, the acceptance of these products largely depends on the requirements of the end use segments.”
“Producers who usually dedicated their rolls to the export market have had to face an unprecedented increase in the sea freight shipping rates. In order to remain competitive, these companies have decided to build plants in Europe in order to be closer to the market and address the local demand,” says Andre Michalon, sales director, Andritz Perfojet France.
These new lines not only provide localized production for converters, they also respond to increasing demand for spunlace nonwovens.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, the demand boomed, especially for disinfecting products as they were in short supply,” adds Arnaud LaRoche, head of sales, Andritz Perfojet France. “Most manufacturers then had to increase their existing capacity and decided to make new investments to meet the demand. In the meantime, however, converters were starting to experience difficulties because the supply of spunlace rolls on the market was running out. As a result, they also decided to invest in spunlace lines to secure their sourcing.”
Already in 2022, lines have been announced in Ukraine and Uzbekistan, both from companies that are new to nonwovens manufacturing.
In Ukraine, Biosphere, a leading manufacturer of household and hygiene products, has invested in an Andritz-supplied spunlace line, which will enable the company to produce fabrics from 30 to 70 gsm, with an hourly output of up to 3000 kilograms after the second commissioning phase. Start-up is scheduled in two stages – the first one in the first quarter of 2022 and the second in early 2023, when it will reach full production capacity.
The high-capacity spunlace line will double the company’s current production capacity and is designed to process various types of fibers, such as polyester/viscose blends and natural fibers. It is dedicated to the production of household, medical and hygiene fabrics, such as cosmetic, disinfecting and baby wipes.
“Our goal is to carry on creating innovative and premium-quality products,” says Andriy Zdesenko, founder and CEO of Biosphere Corporation.
Biosphere was founded in 1997, and is a market leader in the production and distribution of household and hygiene products in Ukraine and the CIS as well a key converter player in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan cotton spinning specialist Texygen Textile LLC has invested in a neXline spunlace nonwovens line, which is the first known spunlace line in the country. Start-up is scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.
This line will process high-quality cotton fibers in a fully integrated production line, from bleaching to winding. With this new line, Texygen Textile LLC will be able to produce top-class spunlace wipes made of 100% cotton, thus opening up new market opportunities for both the company and the country.
“We are very proud to be a pioneer in the spunlace industry in our country,” says company owner Rasulov Ikrom. “We have commissioned Andritz to supply our first spunlace line, and their know-how relating to the carding machine, among other units, will enable us to produce premium-quality, nonwoven cotton roll goods.”
While trade issues and freight costs are playing a role in influencing investment, so is traditional market growth. As the wipes market expands in these smaller regions, manufacturers eventually will take the initiative to localize production to supply their own converting needs as well as support external local growth. “It’s terribly hard to predict when the right time to invest is but eventually small scale capacity can be the answer to supporting local needs,” says David Price, industry consultant and principal of Price Hanna Inc.
As these new investments ramp up across the globe, the question will be whether or not the wipes market—or other applications for spunlaced nonwovens—can support them. According to Price, many of these new lines have been founded on the expectation that strong, or even increasing demand, for wipes would continue to exist.
“We believe the motivation to acquire this additional capacity was founded on the expectation that a higher level of demand would continue to exist in a post pandemic world and that investment in advanced technology capable of producing a bundle of sustainable fibers was justifiable,” he says. “We think that demand for disinfectant and cleaning wipes will remain at a level higher and that the use of wipes will be more acceptable and convenient to consumers moving forward. Given these assumptions, we think that additional capacity will enter the market and be utilized to meet both health and sustainability trends.”
According to a report recently issued by Smithers, the global tonnage for spunlace nonwovens is expected to increase from 1.65 million tons last year to 2.38 million tons in 2026. Meanwhile volume will rise from 40 billion square meters to 62.5 billion square meters during the same period, representing an equivalent CAGR of 9.6% as manufacturers introduce lighter base weight nonwovens.
Smithers data shows that wipes (baby care, home care, industrial, personal care) account for around 64.7% of all spunlace media produced in 2021. Through to 2026, the fastest growth rates are forecast for personal care wipes, and adult and toddler moist toilet tissues. Demand in durable applications will be more suppressed; although there will be new market opportunities in consumer hygiene with spunlace presenting a sustainable alternative to competing polyester or polypropylene-based nonwovens in applications such as ultrathin topsheets for feminine hygiene pads.
As the imminent threat of Covid recedes, the leading transformative trend across the first half of the 2020s will be developing more sustainable nonwovens. Generally, this will benefit spunlace producers, as they work towards the goal of developing a fully plastic-free wipe. This driver will continue to receive a stimulus from the EU’s Single-use Plastics Directive, but there is also strong interest from brand owners in polymer-free wipes that can be marketed as premium eco-friendly products. The main route to achieve this is wider use of rayon, lyocell, wood pulp, cotton and other biodegradable fibers, with a corresponding relative decrease in use of spunbond polypropylene and polypropylene fiber.
Investments are also responding to increased need for more sustainable wipes products. In February, the The Albaad Group, a global manufacturer of nonwovens and wet wipes, announced it would invest around €50 million in nonwovens production to allow it to make a wholly sustainable fabric made from natural fibers. The output on this line, which is scheduled to launch in 2023, is also biodegradable, flushable and plastic-free.
“As one of the world’s largest producers of wet wipes and nonwovens, we at Albaad understand and embrace the importance of innovation as an engine that drives growth and we are committed to delivering eco-friendly products of the highest quality in order to create a better world for us to live in,” says Albaad CEO Dan Mesika.
Welspun is also focusing on sustainability with its recently announced spunlace line, which is currently starting up in its Hyderabad, Telangana plant. The line can process various types of synthetic and natural fibers for a number of markets.
“Spunlace manufacturers had already long been experimenting with 100% sustainable products partly or wholly with their portfolio. However, SUP directive in Europe has fast forwarded this process and now from the consumer side there is increased demand of products that are sustainable and that meet all the requirements,” says Tirthankar Mukherjee of Welspun. “On the technology front, the technology providers are also providing various innovations with standalone machine or retrofitting in the existing machine to enable products which can use 100% sustainable plant-based products or in various blend combinations. However, the acceptance of these products largely depends on the requirements of the end use segments.”
