Hyosung and Geno develop certified regen BIO Elastane

As part of its corporate ESG commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 and supporting the wider textile industry to meet evolving sustainability goals, Hyosung TNC, the world’s largest manufacturer of elastane, has partnered with sustainable materials leader, Geno, to start construction at its plant in Vietnam of facilities to produce BIO BDO derived from sugarcane, commencing Q2 2026.

BDO is the technical name for butanediol, a chemical traditionally made from fossil fuels and a major ingredient in the manufacture of Elastane. Through proven plant-based Geno BDO technology, which ferments sugars derived from sugarcane to replace the fossil raw materials such as coal, Hyosung can build upon the successful launch of its extensive range of certified regen BIO Elastane products already adopted by leading global activewear brands.

Hyosung’s partnership with Geno establishes the world’s first fully integrated manufacturing site for bio-based Elastane from renewable raw material to fibre. The project will fast track the production of BIO BDO with an annual capacity of 50,000 tons in the second half of 2026 – with the aim of expanding capacity up to a total of 200,000 tons/year to meet expected industry demands of BIO-based Elastane.

“Through this vertical integration from raw material to yarn for regen BIO Elastane, our goal is to increase production efficiency, provide faster response to our customer needs, and integrate value chains to help minimize carbon footprint,” said Sora Yoo, Hyosung Chief Marketing Officer, Textiles.

“As a total sustainable textile solutions provider, we are excited about our close collaboration with Geno on our BIO BDO project to pass along significant carbon footprint reductions across the value chain so we can all make an impact towards a better future.”