Sustainability in Biopharma Critical Utilities

Five years into the revision to monograph 0169 of the European Pharmacopoeia allowing methods other than distillation for the generation of WFI, and among the current turmoil in the energy markets, how are the economic and sustainability considerations evolving in biopharmaceutical critical utility design? This presentation explores how CAPEX, OPEX, and sustainability factors into the true total cost of ownership (TCO) of WFI generation and distribution in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Using distillation-based “hot” vs. membrane-based “cold” WFI generation as a case study, we explain how material flow cost accounting (MFCA) and life cycle inventories (LCIs) are used to conduct realistic and comprehensive life cycle assessments (LCA) to determine how a biopharmaceutical manufacturer’s particular use case – in terms of the demand specifics for both PW and WFI as well as what the inputs (i.e. energy and materials) supply structure is locally at the facility – impacts TCO and sustainability.