For more than 70 years Lenzing AG has been manufacturing fibers from the renewable raw material wood. The environmentally-friendly production process, the maximum attainable closed cycle as well as the optimized use of beech wood as a raw material are unique in the industry, and make Lenzing a global trailblazer.
It is less well-known that for each ton of fiber produced, approximately the same amount of sodium sulfate is also derived (NA2SO4) from the manufacturing as a white crystalline powder. This means that the enormous increase in fiber production in recent years has also expanded Lenzing's role as a "salt factory." In the middle of April, the Lenzing, Austria plant reached the milestone of having produced five million tons of this substance. The product is delivered to the detergent and cleaner industry, the glass industry and the food and pharmaceutical industries, to name a few examples.
"This comprises an outstanding achievement of the production team at the site. In addition to the very successful fiber production, it also contributes to the overall output of the Lenzing facility", says Friedrich Weninger, Member of Management Board and Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for fiber production.
CEO Peter Untersperger says: "The sale of co-products of Lenzing AG derived from beech wood within the context of Lenzing's biorefinery, such as acetic acid, furfural and xylose, also encompasses the marketing of large amounts of sodium sulfate. This is an important part of the business carried out at the Lenzing site, and generates a significant share of the positive results achieved by the plant".
Recently in December 2010, Quality Austria carried out an official audit in accordance with the principles of a HACCP concept in addition to the existing ISO certifications. The HAACP1 system focuses on ensuring food and consumer safety. For Lenzing AG the HAACP certificate is a further important step in the company's development as a supplier of high quality products for the food, animal feed and pharmaceutical industries.