Sirio Europe, a leading European nutraceutical and pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO), has announced the completion of a major overhaul of its Brandenburg site with advanced manufacturing and green technologies.
Sirio Europe invests in advanced manufacturing and green technologies
The company has installed new HVAC systems, individual drying chambers, vegetarian softgel manufacturing equipment and a block heat & power plant. The improvements were implemented as part of Sirio Europe’s continuous efforts to further improve the quality and sustainability of manufacturing.
Managing Director at Sirio Europe Dominique Baum said: “One of the reasons behind the investments was that we wanted to be at the forefront of implementing greener solutions and energy-efficient manufacturing for our pharma customers. So while implementing new equipment, we also explored how we can improve the plant’s sustainability.”
The HVAC systems increase the plant’s manufacturing capacity while further reducing the risk of product contamination. Similarly, the company can control the temperature of individual products, which is more energy-efficient and improves the softgel drying process. Additionally, a new vegetarian softgel manufacturing line has been installed – transferring technology from Sirio’s Guangzhou plant – in response to the growing demand for plant-based nutraceuticals.
But in line with the company commitment to increased sustainability, the site upgrades will be supported by an energy-efficient block heat & power station.
Baum added: “Softgel production uses a lot of energy as strict parameters need to be adhered to – through CHP we can now manufacture softgels at a lower cost.”
The new plant upgrades form just a small part of wider drive at the Sirio Group to implement the most sustainable manufacturing processes of any nutraceutical CDMO globally. For example, the company exclusively sources ingredients from certified, sustainable suppliers, and are members of a number of certified sustainability groups.