#Retail & Brands

2024-01-25

H&M Group and Alight sign power purchase agreements to build 3 new solar parks in Sweden

Alight, a leading European solar developer and independent power producer, and global fashion retailer H&M Group have signed long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to enable the construction of three new solar parks in Sweden.

The ground-mounted solar parks will be located in Blekinge, Södermanland, and Halland, with a capacity of 13 MW, 6 MW and 4 MW, respectively. Construction of the park in Blekinge has already begun, while the latter two parks will begin construction this spring. They will be operational in early 2025, according to the current timeline, and will provide H&M Group with renewable electricity. Once in operation, Alight will own and operate the solar parks.

Together the projects will generate at least 24 GWh of clean electricity, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of over 4,800 homes*. This deal builds on the partnership between H&M Group and Alight, who signed a PPA in December 2022 to build a 100 MW solar park in Hultsfred, Sweden, jointly developed and owned with French renewable energy company Neoen.

We are thrilled to have the possibility to add three new solar parks to the previous PPA we signed with Alight in 2022, getting us closer to our goal to only source renewable electricity by 2030. Renewable energy is a cornerstone of our roadmap to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero by 2040 and agreements like this one with Alight play a big part in our journey.

Ulrika Leverenz, Head of Green Investment H&M Group

We’re honored that H&M Group has chosen to bolster our partnership by signing PPAs to build three new solar parks in Sweden. This commitment by H&M Group makes the projects viable and adds new green power capacity to the Swedish grid. It’s a win for both corporate and community sustainability.

Harald Överholm, CEO and co-founder of Alight

*Based on 5,000 kWh per household.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Recover™ secures multi-year recycled cotton agreement with H&M

Recover™ has signed a multi-year agreement with H&M to support the integration of its recycled cotton fiber, RCotton, for use in H&M’s products. Since early 2024, H&M and Recover™ have collaborated on product development, which now enables scaled commercial introduction of Recover™ mechanically recycled cotton into H&M’s collections.

GORE-TEX® KIDSWEAR launches innovative membership scheme for kids’ jackets

With its revolutionary new membership model, GORE-TEX® Kidswear now offers families a simple, flexible and sustainable way of kitting out their children in top-quality jackets. It is aimed at the parents of children aged between five and ten and kicks off with a choice of functional winter jackets.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.