The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (center), pictured during a tour of the new Asia Pacific Rayon facility with Anderson Tanoto, Director, RGE (left), RGE Founder and Chairman Sukanto Tanoto (center/left), and the Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita (right).

Indonesia’s largest viscose rayon facility begins production

Asia Pacific Rayon to produce 240,000 tons annually

Home Textiles Today Staff //News & Commentary//February 21, 2020

Pangkalan Kerinci, Indonesia – Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Indonesia’s largest integrated viscose rayon production facility this week – celebrating an additional to the country’s textile sector and the Indonesian government’s industrial 4.0 development strategy.

The new Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) facility is located in the same production complex as APRIL Group in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau province, Sumatra. The co-location allows integrated operations where renewable plantation pulp supply from APRIL feeds directly to APR for viscose rayon production. The new operation represents a total investment of approximately Rp.15 trillion (USD $1.1 billion).

The plant will export to more than a dozen countries.

The APR facility has an annual production capacity of 240,000 tons. The inauguration ceremony included the symbolic sealing by President Widodo of an export container with 10,190 tons of viscose rayon fiber for shipment to Turkey, one of APR’s key export markets.

APR’s products are exported to 14 other countries, including key textile centers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Brazil as well as various parts of Europe. The products also support an expanding Indonesia fashion industry.

APR is the first viscose rayon manufacturer in Indonesia to receive the internationally recognized Step certification from OekoTex, which certifies responsible manufacturing of viscose staple fiber.