A consortium of seven companies across five countries has established a supply chain to replace fossil materials with renewable, bio, and captured carbon feedstock in polyester fibre production.
Goldwin, the manufacturer of The North Face outdoor clothing in Japan, plans to use the sustainable fibre in some of The North Face products, including sports uniforms, in July 2024. The brand will consider using the fibre in other Goldwin products and brands after the first trial.
The first supplier in the chain is Finland-based Neste, which will supply its renewable naphtha from bio-based waste and residue oils and fats. To produce renewable Neste RE, Neste uses its proprietary NEXBTL (“Next generation biomass to liquid”) technology, which turns bio-based oils and fats into pure hydrocarbons - fuels or feedstock for polymer production.
South Korea’s SK Geo Centric will use Neste RE to produce renewable para-xylene, an intermediate feedstock for polyester production. Japan’s Chiyoda Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation will supply para-xylene produced from captured carbon dioxide, as part of a pilot project with the University of Toyama, HighChem, and Nippon Steel. The companies have been operating a pilot plant in Chiyoda Corporation's Koyasu Research Park since March 2022.
The para-xylene will then be used by Thailand’s Indorama Ventures to manufacture terephthalic acid (TPA) from carbon captured feedstock.
India Glycols will use sugarcane and other feedstocks to produce bio ethylene glycol, which Japan’s Toyobo will finally use to produce PET originating from renewable, bio, and carbon captured feedstocks.
The material streams throughout the supply chain will be traced using a mass balance approach, the companies said in a joint statement. Mass balance is a chain of custody with defined rules for the attribution of non-fossil feedstocks within a production system to intermediate and customer products.
The partners did not disclose details on supply volumes, nor on the financial terms of the corporation.