Case
Grundfos boosts savings for Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, employing more than 100,000 people in more than 100 countries worldwide. Sanofi-Aventis engages in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sales principally in the prescription market, but the company also develops over-the-counter medication.
The Global headquarter is in Paris, France, but the UK office and the manufacturing and research centres have celebrated their 30th anniversary and are now employing more than 2,500 people. And recently Sanofi-Aventis contacted Grundfos for a reliable water solution for their manufacturing centre in Dagenham, Essex.
The Situation
Water for the pharmaceutical production on this site is critical, so the demand for a reliable water supply is high. Until recently Sanofi-Aventis had a system that was inefficient and required regular servicing, which was proving to be expensive.
Consequently, the company turned to Grundfos to help meet its on-site water requirements. Sanofi-Aventis wanted a more reliable system that also had the potential to save on energy costs at their pharmaceutical production site in Dagenham, Essex.
The Grundfos Solution
A Grundfos Hydro MPC (Multi Pump Controller) booster set was selected to provide the water supply to the entire site covering both production and building service applications. The booster set is fitted with 3 x CRE32-3 (Variable Speed Multistage Centrifugal) pumps that guarantee optimal energy consumption.
Equipped with a frequency converter-controlled motor, the Hydro MPC booster set offers optimal efficiency at all times. The end result is complete control, optimum flexibility of booster output, and unbeatable energy savings. And because the pumps at Sanofi-Aventis are in operation for many hours each day, such improvements provide substantial savings on energy costs – year in and year out.
Grundfos Area Sales Manager, Neil Warby, estimated that “The Grundfos Hydro MPC booster set enables Sanofi-Aventis to save a minimum of £50,000 every year on electricity – which in turn will reduce the Carbon footprint of the plant.”
Furthermore, the Hydro MPC has been designed and constructed with a strong focus on hygiene. The stainless steel manifold, the rounded and TIG welded pipe connections, and the construction of hydraulic parts in the system prevent corrosion and bacteria growth in the water supply.
The Outcome
The Grundfos solution has optimised the system as it only provides the level of water required. Today, Sanofi-Aventis has a reliable water system – which is easy to use, monitor and maintain.
John Green, Senior Engineer at Sanofi-Aventis, was the key decision maker regarding the company selected to provide the replacement system. “We needed a new solution that had the potential to save a lot of energy as well as being reliable. We selected Grundfos as their solution met both of these requirements. We also wanted a payback period of less than 18 months, the Grundfos set offered a 14-month payback. All of this combined with the significant reduction in energy costs and working with a trusted name such as Grundfos has so far proved to be a great success”.