News Bioeconomy
Kruger Biomaterials receives $2M from feds to scale up cellulose filament production

August 6, 2019 – Kruger Biomaterials Inc. is receiving $2 million from the federal government for a commercial-scale facility that will manufacture cellulose filaments, touted as the first of its kind in the world.

The project will upgrade the company’s existing plant in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, allowing Kruger Biomaterials to operate on a 24/7 basis.

Derived from natural and renewable wood fibres, cellulose filaments are a bio-based material that can enhance the strength, durability and overall functionality of many consumer and industrial products, including in specialty papers, plastic and concrete. They can replace chemical-based materials with applications in various markets, such as automotive, construction and aerospace.

“This investment will further unlock the potential of cellulose filaments by accelerating its commercial development and making high-performance bio-based materials available to growing markets,” says Maxime Cossette, vice-president, global sustainability and biomaterials for Kruger, in a release. “We are very proud to contribute to the diversification of the Canadian forest industry and promote clean technology for the future.”

Funding for this project is provided through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, which encourages the Canadian forest sector to implement unique technologies and helps get them to market.