#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2022-04-14

Solar panels installed to Suominen’s Alicante plant

Solar Panels at our site in Alicante © 2022 Suominen

Suominen has installed a solar panel plant with 2,222 solar panels to its site in Alicante. The solar plant will provide clean, fossil-free electricity supply to the Alicante production site. The solar panel plant has a capacity of 1 MW.

“The location of our production site in Alicante is excellent for a solar plant. The solar plant is expected to provide a minimum of 8% and a maximum of 13,5% of the total electricity consumption at the production site,” says Juan Carlos Esteve, Director, HSEQ.

The installation of the solar panel plant has been done in line with the previously announced shift to fossil-free electricity in all the European plants. “The shift towards sustainable energy sources is a step forward for us but other measures remain important as well. For example, improvements in the energy efficiency have a direct impact on our emissions,” Esteve continues.

Suominen aims to reduce its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions respectively by 20% per ton of product by 2025, compared to the base year of 2019. In 2021, Suominen' s energy consumption decreased by 7.1% and greenhouse gas emissions by 8.8% per ton of product, compared to the base year 2019.

Francois Guetat joins Suominen as COO

Francois Guetat brings over two decades of global experience in operations, supply chain, and manufacturing excellence. Most recently, he served as SVP of Integrated Supply Chain at Kalmar, where he led business across sourcing, manufacturing, logistics and strategy. His leadership has been shaped by 22 years at Volvo, where he held key roles in Sweden, USA, and Poland.

Suominen reports decline in sales and earnings – Cost savings program and leadership change to drive recovery

Finnish nonwovens manufacturer Suominen Corporation has reported a noticeable drop in both revenue and profitability for the first half of 2025, reflecting a challenging global trade environment, particularly the impact of recent U.S. tariffs, as well as persistently high energy and raw material costs.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris unveils redesigned show layout for 2026

From February 2 to 4, 2026, Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris will once again bring together all the key players in textiles and clothing at the Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Center. For 3 days, visitors will discover, compare and select among 1,300 suppliers who will shape the collections of tomorrow, from ready-to-wear to luxury.

Lenze receives IEC 62443-4-1 certification: TÜV Rheinland confirms cyber-secure development process

Lenze SE has been certified according to IEC 62443-4-1 since November 2025. TÜV Rheinland thus confirms that Lenze meets the requirements of this internationally recognized standard for a secure development process for industrial automation and drive products. The certification is an important milestone on the way to implementing the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which will become mandatory for machine manufacturers and their suppliers from December 2027.

Epson future proofs textile printing with Epson Textile Academy 2.0

Technology leader Epson today hosted its second Textile Academy Event at the company’s Textile Innovation Centre in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Building on the success of its inaugural Textile Academy earlier this year, the event welcomed Textile Design BA students from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Loughborough University. The event features workshops designed to enhance student’s practical textile printing skills; corporate and entrepreneurial business acumen; marketing and self-branding; and environmental awareness around the textile industry.

MUNICH FABRIC START: Frank Junker steps down as Creative Director and Shareholder

The organisers of MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH today announced Frank Junker's decision to step down as Creative Director and shareholder of MUNICH FABRIC START Exhibitions GmbH after around 20 years. The long-standing advisor to the international fabric trade show in Munich wishes to devote himself to new entrepreneurial tasks and projects in the event industry.