Reading Time: 2 minutes Construction on a 1 million kilogram-per-year manufacturing facility to scale up in production of wool-derived particles, powders and pigments will likely kick off at the end of the year after Wool Source Manufacturing and the government announced a partnership. The ingredients can be used in products such as inks, 3D printing materials, bioplastics and textiles and personal care. The government allocated $8 million to the $20m project through the Primary Sector Growth Fund. Chief executive of Wool Source, Tom Hooper, said
the funding will help accelerate construction of the production facility. Wool Source transforms wool into fine particles while retaining its performance benefits in versatile, bio-based materials. “This investment provides the platform for Wool Source to move from pilot-scale activity to commercial-scale production and ultimately put significantly greater volumes of product into market.” An existing pilot plant based at Lincoln University near Christchurch has helped prove the concept. The next step is commercialising with the hopes of a pathway for more stable demand over time,” Hooper
said. Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson said Wool Source Manufacturing has already achieved its first high-volume commercial sale, exporting 8 tonnes of wool particles to a Japanese personal care manufacturer. The project has the potential to redirect up to 20% of New Zealand’s strong wool clip into higher-value applications over time, he said. Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand chair Andrew Morrison said strong wool pricing has improved over the past year, but the sector’s long-term strength will depend on a range of existing and
new uses for strong wool. The facility site has not been disclosed, but construction is expected to begin by the end of the year, with commercial production set to get underway next year, Hooper said.
Wool Source Manufacturing, strong wool, wool particles, facility, Primary Sector Growth Fund, Tom Hooper, Mark Patterson, Andrew Morrison, Lincoln University, Christchurch