Textile fibre from paper-grade pulp

What is Metsä Group's Kuura fibre, why are we developing textile fibre from pulp, and what can Kuura be used for? This page provides answers to questions about Kuura.

STARTING DATE: October 01, 2018

The aim of this project is to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a new concept, in which paper-grade pulp is converted into a novel Kuura® textile fibres (i.e., a lyocell-type staple fibre). The pulp in question is today already made by Metsä Group utilising Nordic spruce and pine as the raw materials. An essential part of our concept is locating the textile fibre production unit next to the unit producing the pulp. In other words, integrating the Kuura® production to one of Metsä Group’s modern, highly-efficient bioproduct mills. The aim of the project is to meet the growing demand for more sustainable textile fibres by introducing to the market an alternative to cotton and other cellulosic textile fibres (latter also known as ‘man-made cellulosic fibres’). The Kuura® fibre does not result in microplastics problems. The fibre is recyclable on par with other man-made cellulosic fibres, and Metsä Group can trace back the cellulosic material all the way to the local forests.

At the heart of this on-going Kuura® development project is a semi-industrial production plant (a demo plant) located in Äänekoski, Finland. The demo plant is in practise built as part of Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill in Äänekoski. The demo plant was started up in the end of 2020 and it has a nameplate capacity of approximately a tonne per day. In February 2025 Metsä Group announced that it will start pre-engineering the first commercial Kuura textile fibre mill.

What is Kuura fibre?

Kuura is a textile fibre developed by Metsä Group and it’s produced at the demo plant located in our Äänekoski mill area. Kuura is produced from northern softwood pulp that is suitable for the production of, for example, paper and paperboard. Our aim to respond to the growing demand for textile fibres by introducing an alternative to cotton, synthetic fibres made from oil such as polyester, and other cellulosic fibres. Kuura fibre does not cause microplastic problems and the fibre is recyclable as other cellulosic fibres. Furthermore, Metsä Group can trance the wood raw-material back to local forests.

The softwood pulp used in the production of Kuura fibre is produced at Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill in Äänekoski that is the world's first fossile-free pulp-producing mill. Since, the production of Kuura textile fibre is closely integrated to the bioproduct mill, which produces renewable energy beyond its own nees, Kuura can be produced efficiently without fossile-based energy. Based on the results of the ongoing demo plant project, Metsä Group is evaluating the investment to a commercial mill and thus the start of a textile fibre business.

What products/textiles can Kuura be used for?

Kuura fibre can be used for example in the production of clothing, curtains, technical fabrics such as seat upholstery, and for the needs of the nonwoven industry, such as wiping and hygiene products like facial wipes. Smaller amounts of this type of material are also used in many other applications.

What existing textile fibres is Kuura intended to replace?

Since Kuura fibre consists mainly of cellulose, it can replace other cellulose-containing fibres such as cotton and other wood-based fibres. Wood-based fibres include viscose, modal, and lyocell fibres. The most well-known lyocell fibre is commercially known as Tencel.

Are textiles made from Kuura durable in use?

The durability in use of the textiles made from Kuura fibre is at the same level as textiles made from cotton or typical wood-based fibres. The specialty of these fibres is that they are durable in use but if they end up in nature, they decompose into sugars, and the sugars eventually become food for various organisms living in the nature.

Our aim is that clothes and other products made from Kuura will be available for purchase but a precise schedule is still unsure. Possible industrial production of Kuura would require the construction of a mill. Metsä Group started the pre-engineering of Kuura textile fibre mill in February 2025. The pre-engineering is expected to continue until the summer of 2026. The project entity consists of four part: pre-engineering of the first commercial mill, the development of the Kuura fibre production process, work with customers to facilitate the market entry, and tasks related to project financing. The application for an environmental permit is of the factory’s pre-engineering project.

Our partner, Japanese textile company Itochu, has investigated the international market interest towards Kuura fibre and first clothes made from Kuura have been sold in Japan as part of the collection by the clothing brand called The Reracs. The recent collection featured various denim jackets and trousers that included Kuura fibre.

Although Kuura is still in the research and development stage, we have measured Kuura's environmental impact from the very beginning of the development process. In a recent third-party verified life cycle analysis (LCA), Kuura fibre received promising results. The LCA results have passed the critical review of the third party conducted by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden).

We have also participated in the environmental assessment of the non-profit environmental organization Canopy. The organization's annual Hot Button rating is, along with the life cycle analysis, one of the most established methods for assessing the environmental footprint of various wood-based textile fibres. Since the year 2021, Kuura has received the highest 'Green Shirt' level in the assessment. Improving the result within the level would become relevant if we decided to proceed to business.

The CARTIF research institute has also evaluated the impacts of Kuura from the societal perspective. The results of the evaluation were very positive, and Kuura's industrial operating model and production method received the highest score in all evaluation categories. The result of the evaluation has been published on the kuura.io website.

Is the wood raw material used in producing Kuura traceable?

In 2023, 93 % of all the wood traded by Metsä Group was certified. We know the origin of the wood in all the countries from which we acquire it. Kuura fibre is designed to be produced of wood that is sourced only from certified forests. The origin of Kuura's wood raw material is therefore fully traceable, and the information is also available afterwards if necessary. Currently, the audit conducted by an external party covers the wood supply chain from the forest to the pulp. If the decision to build a Kuura mill is made, official traceability will be extended to cover Kuura fibre as well. The implementation of this phase would be simple, as the pulp used for the production of Kuura would be supplied from the neighboring Metsä Group’s bioproduct mill.

Does the production of Kuura fibre increase the use of Finnish wood?

Metsä Group has a total of five pulp-producing mills in Finland and Sweden. Metsä Group uses approximately half of the pulp currently produced for its own operations and half is sold to various customers. The Kuura concept would be one way for Metsä Group to further process the pulp in Finland and therefore to increase the processing value of pulp. The industrial production of Kuura fibre would not add pressure to increase the logging levels in Finland.

We are constantly looking for new, higher value-added uses for Finnish wood. The most valuable part of the wood we use, i.e. the log, is used in the construction industry, forming long-term carbon storage. Pulpwood, i.e. wood obtained from thinning and small-diameter trunk wood, is used as a raw material for pulp production, from which various paper and cardboard products are being processed.

Why is Kuura fibre not made from recycled fibre?

Metsä Group’s primary purpose is the processing of the wood raw-material of our parent company Metsäliitto Cooperative. Our main goal is therefore to develop a new method that would enable the further processing of Metsä Group's pulp in Finland. We aim to be the most responsible and desirable operator in this segment. We believe that there are different cycles in a functioning circular economy. Alongside the direct recycling of side streams and used materials, there is also a longer cycle where carbon circulates through carbon dioxide. Alongside our main concept, we closely monitor the development of markets and legislation.

The developed production method is fundamentally flexible because it is designed to use so-called paper pulp. If the recycled material is sufficient by its quality (comparable to paper pulp), Kuura fibre can be produced from it. This has been practically demonstrated on a laboratory scale.

The availability of recycled raw material suitable for textile fibre production is likely to increase in the future. Currently, cellulose-containing waste (e.g. cotton textile waste) is mainly imported to Europe from Asia. Therefore, it may take until to 2030s before the availability in Europe is at a sufficient level. In addition, when comparing the use of fresh fibre and recycled fibre, it is good to examine the life cycle analysis results of different options. Although recycling is a desirable thing, it also has its own environmental footprint. For example, long transport from Asia and processing recycled fibre into recycled pulp that is suitable as a raw material also causes environmental impacts.

Can Kuura fibre be mixed with recycled fibre?

Yes. Different components are typically mixed with each other either at the yarn production stage (different fibres) or at the fabric production stage (different yarns). This kind of mixing is very common in the textile industry. We have experimentally mixed Kuura fibre with recycled synthetic fibre (this was used to make bus seat upholstery fabric) and fibre made from agricultural straw. Kuura fibre can therefore also be mixed with recycled fibre.

Does Kuura fibre solve the problems caused by overconsumption in the textile industry?

No. The overconsumption problem of the textile industry is a broad and multi-layered phenomenon. A single fibre innovation is not a solution to overconsumption. However, we believe that the textile industry needs innovations and investments in development at many levels. One of them can be Kuura fibre. We have invested in the sustainable forest management, for example by adopting the principles of regenerative forestry. The goal of regenerative forestry is to strengthen the state of forest nature verifiably by 2030. Find more information about regenerative forestry and it’s practical measures in the forests.