Angelo Giambrone - business development manager at Spirax Sarco UK discusses the steps pharmaceutical managers can take to improve steam system efficiency, maximise process and final product quality, and optimise overall productivity.
Sustainability
From vitamins to vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to enhancing the world’s health by advancing cutting-edge, innovative solutions and utilities like steam are vital in the manufacturing process. However, with reducing carbon footprint becoming an increasing focus for energy-intensive manufacturing processes, plant owners and operators are striving to reduce energy consumption and wastage.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have always been an integral part of pharmaceutical manufacturing, with organisations such as AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline estimating that HVAC demands accounted for 60-70% of their UK operations’ total energy consumption[1]. In fact, operating costs of industrial HVAC in cleanrooms tend to be between 20 and 100 times larger per square foot than those employed in typical buildings. With such large numbers in mind, it is understandable that reducing overall consumption and improving efficiency is an area of importance for plant managers and operators.