Shahi steps up commitment to Fibre52 technology
Indian vertical manufacturer Shahi Exports has announced that Fibre52, a low-temperature pre-treatment process for cotton developed by US-based Innovo Fiber, will be scaled up in its knitting operations. The innovative and patented Fibre52 biochemistry platform eliminates the need for caustic soda, preserves the natural wax and softness of cotton fibres and is less energy intensive than conventional methods.
The technology has been in trials at Shahi since 2024, where the partners progressively validated incremental fabric trial stages of 5, 20, and 100 tonnes. Results have confirmed significant resource savings, including a reduction of approximately 25% in water consumption and 49% in steam consumption compared to conventional pretreatment systems, the two partners said.
Shahi now intends to transition a quarter of its knit processing capacity to the Fibre52 pretreatment system. This, it said, represented close to 3,000 tonnes per annum.
“It is encouraging to see how sustainability and performance can come together at an industrial scale,” declared Anant Ahuja, head of ESG & Sustainability for Shahi Exports.
Photo courtesy Fibre52/Shahi Exports
