The pharmaceutical industry is marked by sharp contrasts: while innovative drugs are extending patients' lives, their high costs often set new records, and resource consumption far exceeds that of many other sectors. This puts immense pressure on pharmaceutical manufacturers to deliver life-saving medications quickly and with uncompromising quality-while also making production processes far more efficient.
Meanwhile, rising energy prices, increasing CO₂ taxes in many countries, and ambitious corporate sustainability goals are adding to the urgency. In this landscape, technology providers play a crucial role by guiding manufacturers toward more resource-efficient operations. Real-world experience shows that even modest system upgrades can lead to significant reductions in energy and media usage, helping pave the way toward more sustainable pharmaceutical production.
Increasing efficiency with analyses
A good example is the generation of pure steam, which is used to sterilize pharmaceutical products and surfaces. The single-column PSG from the MARYA subsidiary Pharmatec is a compact and robust system with a stainless-steel construction, low mechanical stress on the heat exchanger, a low tendency to form deposits, and a bell-shaped separation system. The standard configurations cover the entire capacity range of up to 5,000 kilograms per hour. Although the system is so compact, it still offers optimization potential at various points.
Depending on the operating conditions, pharmaceutical manufacturers can save up to 39 percent water, up to 30 percent cooling water, and up to 13 percent steam. The wastewater can even be reduced by up to 68 percent. The key to these successful savings is a preliminary analysis in which the Pharmatec service team carefully examines the individual process parameters together with the customer. This allows the team to calculate the customer-specific greenhouse gas emission savings in accordance with the relevant standards. Pharmaceutical manufacturers can see at a glance how much water and energy they are currently using, where they have opportunities for savings, and what specific measures they can take to minimize costs and emissions.
Savings during blow-down and sampling
How exactly can the desired increase in efficiency be achieved? Let's take, for example, the reduction of the blow-down quantity, i.e. the discharge of residual materials by discarding boiling water. Introducing a timer is an effective measure to control the blow-down quantity individually. This requires the installation of an automated shut-off valve and the associated adjustment of the software parameters and the process, as well as a new visualization of the timer. As a result, manufacturers can reduce their media losses through blow-down by up to 96 percent – which, regardless of the size of the machine and the type of operation, can lead to savings in the five-digit euro range.
Financial savings are even greater when the pure steam is sampled physically. The samples are often used for continuous conductivity measurement and are extremely critical from an energy standpoint. Automated, periodic closure of the system results in significant energy savings. Adjustments to the sampling configuration can reduce the loss of incoming water, heating steam, cooling water, and wastewater by up to 75 percent. Even when quality assurance requirements are particularly stringent, individualized solutions can be found.
New preheater and setback principle
Another way to achieve substantial savings is to install a preheater. It preheats the feed water, enabling pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the heating steam input for the entire process. Alternatively, and depending on the operating conditions, between ten and 15 percent more pure steam output can be generated with the same heating steam input. The lower thermal stress also extends the service life of the column.
As with many heating systems, a night setback for production-free periods notably reduces energy consumption in pure steam generators. The pure steam pressure is decreased either automatically or at the push of a button, while the loop remains hot and can be quickly returned to operating conditions. A program change with a new parameter set is required to utilize this potential; the exact circuit is adapted to the pharmaceutical manufacturers' individual needs. Mechanical changes are not necessary.