Reju, a company in textile-to-textile regeneration, has received EUR 135 million in funding from the Dutch National Investment Scheme for Climate Projects Industry (NIKI). The funding supports the construction of Reju's plant at the Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard-Geleen, covering both the investment phase and operational activities. The contribution from the NIKI scheme is an important step towards the final decision for construction.
Reju is a materials regeneration company focusing on innovative solutions for recycling polyester textiles and post-consumer PET waste. The company is
owned by Technip Energies and uses technology developed by IBM Research. Reju is driven by the mission to unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources and is working on a circular system for polyester textiles.
Confidence in technology
"We are grateful for the support of the Dutch government and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. In scaling up commercial technologies that achieve demonstrable emission reductions and accelerate the transition to a truly circular textile industry," said Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju. "This award proves the confidence in our technology and our team. At Chemelot, we will deliver circular raw materials on an industrial scale, reduce emissions in the textile chain and establish a replicable model for circular textiles in Europe."
Regeneration Hub One
The grant will allow Reju to build the so-called Regeneration Hub One at the Chemelot Industrial Park. In this plant, discarded textiles will be processed on a large scale into new raw materials for textile production. This will recycle an amount comparable to about 300 million garments a year.
Riju towards circular textile industry
The NIKI scheme is the Dutch government's flagship programme to accelerate large-scale industrial decarbonisation and circularity. It supports both national and European circular economy targets. With this project, Reju is taking an important step towards a circular textile industry. Difficult-to-recycle polyester textiles will be converted into high-quality raw materials for new production. In doing so, the company prevents textile waste from being landfilled or incinerated and significantly reduces its environmental impact. The future Regeneration Hub will process discarded textiles that would otherwise end up in the waste stream.
Clean, circular and economically strong
Stientje van Veldhoven (Climate and Green Growth): "With this grant, we support precisely the industry of the future: clean, circular and economically strong. Projects like Reju's show that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand, and that the Netherlands can be a leader in circular production. This is an example of how we in the Netherlands are working towards a future-proof industry. We are building chains in which raw materials are constantly reused and in which economic growth goes hand in hand with climate goals."
At Chemelot, we will supply circular raw materials on an industrial scale, reduce emissions in the textile chain and establish a replicable model for circular textiles in EuropePatrik Frisk, CEO of Reju
50% lower CO2 emissions
The regenerated output will be converted into Reju Polyester, with expected CO₂ emissions around 50% lower than new (virgin) polyester. This material is then redelivered to the textile production chain, where it is processed into yarns and fabrics for end use in consumer products. The project is committed to close industrial cooperation, smart use of energy and raw materials and fully insightful, circular chains. In doing so, Reju aims to greatly reduce the use of new fossil raw materials.
Strategic location
With its strong industrial ecosystem, shared facilities and proximity to innovation and research-rich organisations, Chemelot Industrial Park is a strategic location. This provides the right basis for rapid scale-up, stable operations and future expansion to other locations.
Source: Reju and central government
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