Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and sustainable designs

Pharmaceutical industry has entered late into adoption of sustainability practices compared to other industrial segments, but it has definitely made appreciable strides in this field in the past two decades and a half. Environment control was earlier given a secondary consideration and there was a standardized practice to incorporate some features in the facility's design. But a comprehensive approach to “go green” that encompassed everything from curbing carbon emissions to ensure employee well being was missing. Knowledge of sustainability today is like never before and it is being put to excellent use in design of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

The sustainability standards being implemented now are promoted by global bodies, governments, market regulators, environment authorities and industry groups. Innovation in sustainability design has also come under increased focus.

Sustainable designs of the manufacturing facility in the pharmaceutical sector have gained importance due to increasing global inter-governmental pressures to decrease energy costs and carbon footprint and conserve resources. Energy cuttings make up the biggest component in terms of savings in the industrial sector; therefore energy certifications of manufacturing are mandatory in most of the
countries. Energy savings begin with use of sustainable material in installation coupled with use of sustainable design in the facility. Green buildings are more sustainable and profitable as they make the facilities more efficient by reducing energy costs, and decreasing the chances of process and equipment failures, thus improving productivity. Green constructions have lasting impact on the environment, productivity and health. Sustainability begins with as basic things as design of eco-friendly walls, roofs, providing enough natural light, efficient use of compressed air in HVAC (heat, air, ventilation and cooling) and waste management. The workforce should work in ergonomically designed comfortable conditions. Ill designed buildings create infrastructural problems shooting up maintenance and utility bills; create unpleasant work conditions, thus negatively affecting the bottom line. The green building norms also meet the employee health parameters as there is better air and water quality and more skilled usage of natural light.

The pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure should conform to its own set of GMP, ISPE Guidelines regarding heating HAVC installations. According to a study, HVAC energy usage could make up 35-45% of the entire site energy usage in API facilities. In drug product manufacturing, energy usage in HAVC could climb to 60-75% of the entire usage. A necessary first step to curtail HAVC energy usage is a

minimization of air use. Reduction in airflow by even a fraction can lead to a large amount of energy saving. Then there can be a reduction in the energy going in for air-conditioning. This needs using prime quality motors and fans. Improving the energy usage in HVAC could lead to maximum return on investment. Further a study by World Green Building Council (WGBC) confirms that there is a positive correlation between sustainable buildings and health of the human resources. Workers working in green buildings took fewer sick leaves, suffered less stress, and increased productivity up to 11%. Adequate lighting increased productivity up to 21%. Other advantages of green buildings include a high real estate value and a better brand imagery of the company.

Discharge of effluents from API manufacturing facilities is a matter of concern for industrial designers for its anti-microbial resistance. The discharge of water from pharmaceutical production can be used for cooling towers or in sanitation systems after treatment, making a fit between environment and economy. Enormous volumes of water are consumed by boilers and coolers, and any innovation in water conservation here pays back a lot. For example, transitioning to closed loop from open loop system brings efficiency. Sustainability in pharmaceutical industry also means transitioning from stainless steel facility to single use technology (SUT) in smaller plants. It has also led to benefits in energy and water consumption.

A green-building is a resource efficient structure that is designed and constructed in tune with eco- friendly standards. Construction cost makes up only a fragment of total cost required to build, operate and maintain a facility over a typical 40-year cycle. However, a small saving in the upfront cost of construction through wrong decision-making could end up increasing the operational costs manifold. Post installation and in operational phase, companies have to continuously monitor, analyze and optimize their energy systems to remain sustainable. However, “going green” merely doesn’t mean meeting environment friendliness.

It has wider connotations wherein the facility is flexible, resilient and efficient. It should have the flexibility to adapt to unfamiliar market environments. It should have high reliability and resilience to adjust to changes in resources and weather. It should be energy and space efficient and meet healthy operational needs.

In a study conducted by the M+W Group of the life cycle assessment (LCA) from “cradle to grave” (installation to demolition of facility) it was found that operations contributed maximum to the carbon footprint. The building systems particularly HVAC added 28to 38% to the carbon foot print and transportation made up 25 to 30% of the total. Production and disposal accounted for only 9 to 11% in the total footprint. The study concluded that optimization for supply chain and location of the facility was important for its “greenness”. It is therefore necessary to study and understand sustainability measures for each facility than following a blanket approach.

The engineering company involved in setting up a manufacturing facility should follow an integrated approach towards design. There should be precise efficiency and sustainability targets set up in the planning phase. The operators should have a dynamic engagement with the designers to ensure that solutions are workable. We should give commissioning and tuning due time to give optimized performance.

The construction industry relies on traditional building methods, which may not be workable. Alternative construction methods are being adopted; particularly the building integrated modeling (BIM). It holds a central data repository for all streams involved and creates benefits such as less time on site, better fault detection and pre-fabrication for cost saving. At times, because of the pressures to meet business and operational deadlines, the design process is rushed through leaving behind glaring sustainability gaps. While the costs, time and quality compete, sustainability takes a back seat and the resultant facility is not only inefficient but also inflexible to adopt future changes of technologies.

Pharmaceutical industry is involved in the humanitarian cause of alleviating suffering and saving lives. By putting in proper strategies in place, it can improve its imagery and public perception manifold. It should manage, measure, and report its sustainability commitments and achievements. And the first step begins on the drawing board when a new facility is being designed. Older facility can seek enhancement in technologies to come abreast of sustainability standards. Apart from perception, sustainability shall also contribute to the performance.