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Reducing Energy Consumption in Pharmaceutical Production Processes: Framework and Case Study

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a novel framework for reducing energy consumption in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, with a primary focus on parenterals production. The framework supports (a) the design of optimal energy-saving solutions, (b) the execution and implementation and (c) the comparison of designed and actual performance as a post-implementation control. In selecting promising options, multiobjective criteria are defined for comprehensive decision-making which considers not only energy savings, but also other aspects such as good manufacturing practice (GMP), risk, and workers’ safety.

Methods and Framework

In the framework, five phases were defined in total, with three for design and two for execution and control, respectively. In the three design phases, options are generated, evaluated and selected step by step, with appropriate evaluation criteria covering financial as well as non-financial aspects. The roles of various stakeholders, e.g., Operations, Engineering, or Quality Assurance, are defined for each phase in order to enable smooth and certain decision-making.

Case Study and Results

A case study was performed in the parenterals production plant at Hoffmann-La Roche in Kaiseraugst. Twelve energy efficiency ideas were generated and, after the screening and selection process, the three most promising options from the multiobjective Pareto optimization were implemented to reduce the total plant’s energy consumption by 2.5 %.

Conclusions

The framework enabled the systematic generation and selection of various options, which helped in the allocation of company resources in a prioritized and thus effective manner.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the discussions with Dr. Stavros Papadokonstantakis and Prof. Konrad Hungerbühler at ETH Zurich. Part of this work was financially supported by Grants-in-Aid for Young Scientists (Start-up) No. 25889016 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Correspondence to Georg Müller.

Appendix

Appendix

Option 1 is the installation of the enthalpy control system shown in Fig. 5. The heat recovery unit consists of two heat exchangers: at outside temperatures of <12 °C the heating energy from the exhaust air from the clean rooms can be transferred to the supply air; at hot outside temperatures >30 °C cooling energy from the exhaust air from the clean rooms can be transferred to the supply air. Because of hygienic aspects, an outside air to supply air ratio of α ≥ 0.3 has to be guaranteed. The recirculated air system can recirculate 1 − α of the exhaust air to save heating, cooling and humidification while α comes from the outside air and is used for the supply air which flows through the second part of the heat recovery unit, the cooling unit, the fan, the humidification unit and the heating unit. The conditions in the clean room with 30–60 % RM (relative humidity) and 18–25 °C are constraints from the GMP regulations that have to be fulfilled at all times and reduce the degree of freedom in the operation. Without the enthalpy control system, the air recirculation is set to a fixed value and the heat recovery unit works at an energetically non-optimum operating point. The enthalpy control system collects the temperature and humidity data from the outside air and the exhaust air from the clean rooms and using the heat recovery and the recirculated air system, it tries to reduce energy consumption in the cooling, humidification and heating unit by calculating the enthalpy of different operating modes and using the optimum one. The main benefit of the enthalpy control system is generated in spring and autumn when the outside air has a humidity and temperature similar to clean room conditions because then it is possible to operate the HVAC system without heating, cooling and humidification by using 100 % outside air and the heat recovery unit for the air conditioning. In winter and summer, the maximum recirculating air ratio of α has to be used. In winter the air is dry and cold, thus a large amount of energy has to be used for heating and humidification, and in summer the air is hot and humid, thus a large amount of cooling energy for cooling and dehumidification is lost. For this option a trade-off between cooling water and purified steam has to be made because a lot of cooling can be saved whereas more purified steam for humidification is consumed.

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Müller, G., Sugiyama, H., Stocker, S. et al. Reducing Energy Consumption in Pharmaceutical Production Processes: Framework and Case Study. J Pharm Innov 9, 212–226 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12247-014-9188-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12247-014-9188-z

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