Foto: Renewcell

Renewcell teams up with AFRY to digitalize production

Textile recycling company Renewcell has chosen AFRY as a partner to digitalize production in its production facilities in Kristinehamn and Sundsvall.

AFRY will deliver an industrial IT solution and the digital platform will act as a hub for all information in the production process.

Renewcell is a multi-award winning textile recycling company. With the technology they have developed, the company has succeeded in recovering textile fibre from old clothes and converting it into fibre pulp. They already have a demo plant in Kristinehamn with the capacity to recycle up to 4,500 tonnes of worn textiles each year.

New factory in 2022

The company has now signed a billion-dollar contract with one of the world’s largest producers of viscose fibre. With this as a basis, together with a well-proven process and new technology, they are now building a new factory in Sundsvall. When the new factory is completed, Renewcell will be able to recycle around 60,000 tonnes of textile waste annually, equivalent to more than half of Sweden’s annual textile consumption. The new factory is expected to be operational in 2022.

– Modern production and logistics require a high level of data to meet requirements such as traceability, which is why a platform like this is important for us, together with AFRY’s experience in the field, says Ylva Stjernquist, Supply Chain Manager and Project Manager at Renewcell.

Leading digital solutions

AFRY has extensive experience in industrial IT and will now deliver two leading and tightly integrated digital solutions for production facilities to Renewcell. Together, these tools will improve traceability and ensure high production efficiency by integrating data from all production systems and equipment.

– We are focused on improving process sustainability and it is an honour to be part of Renewcell’s development by delivering a full-scale digitised solution. Our modern and competitive digital solution will definitely also add value to this new type of technology processes, says David Andersson, Business Segment Manager Digitalization, AFRY Process Industries Sweden.

The digital solutions will be installed at both the Kristinehamn and Sundsvall facilities. The installation is scheduled to be up and running in the second quarter of 2022.