Gyeongbuk Province Promotes Eco-Friendly Textile Material Industry... Driving a Major Transformation in the Textile Industry

Aerial view of the Eco-friendly Cellulose Material Center.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Gyeongbuk Province is promoting a ‘textile industry transformation’ by developing cellulose-based eco-friendly fiber materials that can replace existing petroleum-based plastics and chemical fibers in line with the global trend of carbon neutrality.

Gyeongbuk Province has invested 4.8 billion KRW in an eco-friendly fiber manufacturing support project to date, helping local textile companies improve manufacturing processes, produce prototypes, obtain eco-friendly certifications, and support marketing so they can produce and utilize polyester (PET) fibers by recycling plastic (PET).

To realize true carbon neutrality, the need for developing eco-friendly materials that replace petroleum-based plastics and chemical fibers has been emphasized. In collaboration with the Daitec Research Institute and the Korea Textile Machinery Convergence Research Institute, plans are underway to establish a production and demonstration base for eco-friendly fiber materials using biomass such as Andong hemp, rice husks, and pulp.

First, 35 billion KRW is being invested to build an eco-friendly cellulose material center in the Andong Bio 2 Industrial Complex.

Once completed, the center will produce clothing and industrial hemp fibers that can overcome the limitations of existing Andong hemp through facilities capable of mass-producing eco-friendly hemp fibers, supplying them to local companies.

Hemp fiber is a natural fiber made from hemp stalks and is widely used in clothing, packaging materials, household goods, and composites due to the global preference for eco-friendly products.

Regarding the application of hemp fiber composites in automotive interior parts, Toyota has used them since 2003, Ford and BMW since 2013, Audi and Volkswagen since 2017 in luxury vehicles. Hyundai Motor Company has used them as eco-friendly interior materials in the Nexo and Ioniq 5 since 2018, and Kia Motors in the K9 model, with usage expected to expand further.

To mass-produce hemp fiber, expanding local hemp cultivation, mechanized farming, and linking with the industrial hemp regulatory free zone project are expected to significantly contribute to increasing local farmers’ income and revitalizing hemp agriculture.

Next, starting this year, 22.4 billion KRW will be invested to build a resource-circulating cellulose nanofiber material industrialization center in the Gyeongsan General 4 Industrial Complex, establishing a production base for eco-friendly materials using biomass such as rice husks and pulp.

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is a material made by nanofibrillating cellulose, a plant component. It is lighter and stronger than conventional plastics and has excellent biodegradability, making it widely used as a composite material. It is especially gaining attention as an additive in automotive interior and exterior materials, functional fibers, construction materials, paints, cosmetics, and tires.

To explore the industrialization potential of cellulose nanofibers, the province conducted a leading project from 2019 to 2021 in collaboration with Gyeongsan City and local companies, obtaining eight CN-related patents.

They also identified potential applications in various industries such as electric vehicle interior and exterior materials, secondary battery separators, battery packs, adhesives, and composites, actively promoting national commercialization projects.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “As ESG management has recently become a hot topic, we are establishing a production base for cellulose-based eco-friendly materials in the Andong and Gyeongsan areas that can be used in various industries. We will actively support the growth of the eco-friendly materials industry so that related local companies can secure competitiveness and capture markets domestically and internationally.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.