Nau Verde to establish first wet-spinning unit for hemp and flax in Santo Tirso

Nau Verde — an innovative start-up focused on creating Portugal’s first 100% flax and hemp spinning mill — is preparing to set up in the town of Rebordões, in the municipality of Santo Tirso, in a former industrial building with 15,000 square metres of floor space that once housed units operated by Riopele and Filatex.

The company aims to bring linen yarn production back to Europe, currently concentrated in Asia, backed by an investment of almost €112 million that includes the creation of 250 jobs.

Nau Verde, which is reviving flax and hemp spinning, is already building this first wet-spinning unit, which it believes will mark a turning point for the Portuguese and European textile industry, the company said in an Instagram post.

The start-up coordinates the Lusitano Project, involving 17 partners, including Guimarães-based Fibrenamics, which is committed to sustainable yarns produced from natural flax and hemp fibres. The project uses advanced processes to enhance fibre quality and produce high-performance yarns for the premium segment, according to a LinkedIn post by the CEO, Isabel Carneiro, vice-president of AEMinho.

Nau Verde also says that the environmental impact of the process has been reduced by between 50% and 60%, thanks to chemical and enzymatic treatments that are already in the industrial validation phase, reports Jornal de Negócios.

Supported by the PRR, under the Mobilising Agendas, Nau Verde aims to contribute to the development of the European textile industry by combining innovation, sustainability and industrial transformation, the CEO concluded on LinkedIn.