GSK-Singapore Partnership for Green & Sustainable Manufacturing
Launched in 2009, the GSK-Singapore Partnership for Green & Sustainable Manufacturing seeks to develop innovative solutions as the global pharmaceutical industry grapple with the need to enhance sustainability and optimise their global operations.

The S$33-million GSK-Singapore Partnership for Green & Sustainable Manufacturing will be funded by the GSK-EDB S$50 million fund to grow Singapore’s capabilities and talent base in green and sustainable manufacturing as well as healthcare policy. The fund is part of GSK-Singapore 10-year Strategic Roadmap to address the industry’s challenges and co-create innovative solutions.

In June 2010, eight research projects that seek to enhance the pharmaceutical manufacturing process are awarded research grants.

More info

• Press Release
• Annex (Factsheet on Research Projects)

 

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Pioneering Manufacturing Excellence

• GSK lauded for manufacturing excellence
• Pfizer taps innovative solutions in Singapore
• Roche achieves record time in commencing commercial production

Public-Sector Resources

• Pilot-Scale Laboratory Facility
• Graduate Diploma in Green Manufacturing
• Energy Efficient National Partnership
• Key Incentive Schemes to Promote Energy-Efficient Operations
   

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Pioneering Manufacturing Excellence

• GSK lauded for manufacturing excellence
• Pfizer taps innovative solutions in Singapore
• Roche achieves record time in commencing commercial production

 

GSK lauded for manufacturing excellence
Sustainability is an important component of GSK’s activities and it is widely supported by GSK senior management. In 2008, GSK received the MAXA awards – Singapore’s top accolade for manufacturing excellence – in the inaugural category of Excellence in Environmental Management, for the company’s comprehensive approach towards energy and waste management as well as its efforts in measuring its environmental activities.

To achieve sustainability in its operations and processes, GSK is using renewable resources and converting wastes to by-products that become inputs to other processes.  At GSK’s manufacturing facilities in Singapore, the company has been recovering solvents used and channelling them back into the manufacturing process. Some of the solvents recovered are also used in other industries such as the coating and painting industries. In addition, waste generated that is treated in-house is recycled to become useful products for other industrial uses.  Besides waste, energy management is also one of GSK’s top priorities. An effective energy consumption monitoring system and a cross-functional energy management team led by an Energy Manager had been very effective in identifying opportunities for energy reduction at the company’s facilities. In 2010, GSK became one of the National Environment Agency’s founding partners under its Energy Efficient National Partnership. 

 

 

 

 

Pfizer taps innovative solutions in Singapore
Pfizer is one of the leading companies that champions operational efficiency and productivity practices in Singapore.

In 2007, the company’s chemical synthesis plant was the first pharmaceutical plant in Singapore to partner local power company – Tuas Power – in adopting a tri-generation facility. This facility generates electricity, chilled water and steam, and delivers a 17% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the site.

Coupled with this development, Pfizer Singapore also leveraged its local staff’s engineering capabilities to develop and implement process improvements according to the 12 principles of Green Chemistry. By focusing on its 12 green principles and the DMAIC process, Pfizer team has replaced solvents with water or safer solvents, improved process energy efficiency, increased solvent recovery efficiencies, and modified chemical synthesis routes. 

 

 

 

Roche achieves record time in commencing commercial production
In January 2010, Genentech’s microbial-based facility in Singapore was awarded the Facility of the Year Award for Project Execution 2010 by ISPE, INTERPHEX and Pharmaceutical Processing magazine for initiating commencing GMP qualification batches within 24 months from engineering kick-off. In May 2010, the microbial-based facility received FDA approval to commence commercial production of Lucentis within 34 months following construction groundbreaking.

This facility was opened with another mammalian-based facility that Genentech acquired from Lonza in August 2009. The mammalian-based facility manufactures Avastin. Both facilities were officially opened under its parent company, Roche, in November 2009.

 

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Public-Sector Resources

• Pilot-Scale Laboratory Facility
• Graduate Diploma in Green Manufacturing
• Energy Efficient National Partnership
• Key Incentive Schemes to Promote Energy-Efficient Operations

 

Pilot-Scale Laboratory Facility
In October 2009, Singapore’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES), A*STAR, opened a pilot-scale laboratory facility, called the Kilo Lab, where pharmaceutical companies can carry out evaluation of new recipes and processes before going to full-scale manufacturing. The facility also provides a platform to train and develop a new generation of engineers and chemists in Singapore.

 

 

Graduate Diploma in Green Manufacturing
In May 2010, the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) jointly launched the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Graduate Diploma in Process Technology (Sustainable Manufacturing) programme. The programme aims to help companies and professionals in the manufacturing sector acquire the expertise to put in place sustainable manufacturing practices.

Through the new WSQ Graduate Diploma programme, managers, engineers and technical staff in the manufacturing industry will gain critical know-how to address important issues including carbon footprint quantification & reduction, renewable energy & energy efficiency, evaluation and processing of sustainable materials, resource recovery from waste, product eco-design and green supply chain management. 

 

 

Energy Efficiency National Partnership
In April 2010, Singapore’s three key government agencies – National Environment Agency (NEA), Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) launched the Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) programme. The EENP is a significant milestone in Singapore’s drive to improve energy efficiency and save on energy costs in the manufacturing sector.

EENP is a voluntary programme that seeks to help companies put in place energy productivity improvement projects at the organisational level to reduce energy wastage. GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer are amongst leading companies that are participating in this programme.

As EENP partners, companies can look forward to preferential rates for EENP learning events and benefit from NEA’s various energy efficiency incentive schemes, including the Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme and the Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies, to support their energy efficiency initiatives. EENP partners will also be provided with more opportunities to network and participate in benchmarking studies with peers, technical workshops and seminars.  There will also be a recognition scheme held annually for companies that have implemented excellent energy management practices and achieved substantial savings as a result.

EENP Partners will be expected to work towards the adoption of an Energy Management System, where each company will appoint an energy manager, establish objectives and targets, develop energy policies and implement energy efficiency projects to meet these targets. Partners are also encouraged to share among themselves energy goals as well as performance indicators for their energy efficient improvement plans and projects, so as to promote best practices.

 

 

Key Incentive Schemes to Promote Energy-Efficient Operations
Singapore’s National Environment Agency has introduced several incentive schemes to promote energy-efficiency in business operations.

Key schemes include:

• Design for Efficiency Scheme (DfE) that seeks to encourage companies to integrate energy and resource efficiency improvements when designing new manufacturing facilities.
• Grant for Energy Efficient Technologies (GREET) that seeks to encourage companies to invest in energy efficient equipment or technologies. 

More Info

• Singapore’s Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Manufacturing Sector

 

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