Astellas Ireland five year energy management plan
Astellas Ireland manufactures pharmaceutical products for the global market from its Killorglin facility in County Kerry.
Last month, Astellas took home the top prize for Energy Team of the Year in the 2020 SEAI Energy Awards. The Energy Management Team at the Kerry plant work in conjunction with senior management and all employees to continuously improve energy performance on site.
Key Achievements
Additional renewable energy systems
120kWp of solar PV and solar thermal arrays were installed
Maintained renewable energy use
Increased the plant area by 50% but the contribution of onsite generated renewable energy remains at 63% of total usage.
Implemented IS0 50001
To monitor and maintain energy demands
Staff engagement campaigns
To encourage sustainable energy use in work and at home
The Project
Over the last five years, the energy management team has led an extensive renewal of its energy management programme, shifting focus to energy efficient design and incorporating efficiency for the lifecycle of all Astellas projects.
The energy management team is responsible for upwards of 20 projects per annum for which the core goals are improving efficiency, optimisation of significant energy users, integration of renewable energy and minimisation of waste reduction carbon footprint.
These initial projects included two 1650kW chilled water systems (CHW) plant upgrades, which halved the energy use of the previous system. It also featured canteen building upgrades and a compressed air heat recovery system.
The next phase evolved into design using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design (EXEED) principles. LEED and EXEED design were applied to a 7,562m2 warehouse expansion project making energy aspects a cornerstone of the design process. This included high performance building fabric, innovation in lighting and ventilation control.
"It's fantastic to win. It's a great recognition of all the hard work that's been undertaken on site and the proactive approach that Astellas Kerry plant has taken to incorporating sustainability into its core values."Megan Staunton, Site Energy Lead, Astellas Ireland Kerry Plant
What's next?
Astellas Ireland's energy management team wants to continuously improve efficiency across all systems with target upgrades of equipment and the incorporation of new technologies and control strategies, including air-to-air plate heat exchangers in air handling units (AHUs), floating temperatures on low temperature hot water (LTHW) systems, digital addressable lighting interfaces and production line efficiency projects.
The team is also aware of the importance of staff engagement and awareness, with each area having an energy champion who conducts audits and suggests improvements.
2020 SEAI Energy Awards
A total of ten awards were presented to individuals, businesses, communities, and public sector organisations in recognition of their commitment and dedication to sustainable energy and climate action.
The online awards ceremony was hosted by broadcast journalist, Andrea Gilligan, who was joined by Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan T.D. for a special interview.
Watch awards ceremony