The 50,000-tonne Vietnam plant moves bio-based elastane beyond pilot-scale sourcing, with capacity designed to expand fourfold as apparel brands seek lower-fossil alternatives.
Hyosung TNC has started commercial production of sugarcane-derived Bio-BDO in Vietnam, marking a significant scale-up of its regen™ BIO Elastane platform ahead of Première Vision Paris on September 1–3, 2026. The company says its new facility has initial Bio-BDO capacity of 50,000 tonnes a year, with infrastructure allowing expansion to 200,000 tonnes as demand develops.
From sugarcane to elastane
The importance lies in vertical integration. Sugar derived from sugarcane, verified through the VIVE Sustainable Supply Program, is fermented into Bio-BDO, which Hyosung converts into Bio-PTMG and ultimately regen BIO Elastane within its Vietnamese manufacturing network.
BDO is a major feedstock for PTMG, the principal polymer intermediate used in elastane production. Conventional BDO is fossil-derived; Hyosung’s process uses biotechnology developed with Geno to substitute renewable sugar feedstock.
Hyosung says the bio-based molecule is chemically identical to conventional BDO, making it a drop-in input without sacrificing elastane stretch, recovery or durability. That is commercially important because mills should not require fundamentally different processing infrastructure.
$1 billion behind the scale-up
Hyosung announced a $1 billion investment programme in 2024 to establish an integrated bio-material chain in Vietnam. The original configuration placed Bio-BDO production in the former Ba Ria-Vung Tau area, PTMG manufacturing in Dong Nai and spandex production at its nearby Dong Nai operation.
The company will showcase the resulting fibre at Première Vision Paris alongside recycled nylon and polyester technologies.
Scale becomes the differentiator
For apparel brands, elastane is used in relatively small percentages but is difficult to eliminate from activewear, swimwear, intimates and stretch garments. A commercially scaled renewable feedstock therefore addresses a persistent decarbonisation problem rather than merely replacing a high-volume fibre.
The next test is measurable impact: third-party lifecycle data, bio-based content, price premium, mill conversion rates and brand adoption at commercial volumes. If Hyosung can expand toward its planned 200,000-tonne Bio-BDO capacity while maintaining conventional-elastane performance and competitive economics, bio-based stretch fibres could move materially closer to mainstream sourcing.
