Enabling the Energy Transition
Industrial
Background
The team at Entegral developed a climate action strategy and plan for a large bio-pharmacutucal client to align with its global environmental commitments. This also progressed to a detailed design for a large industrial heat pump project.
Ireland's biopharma sector operates within an increasingly demanding regulatory and policy environment focused on climate action. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, creating urgency for industrial transformation. Ireland aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, though current projections suggest the country will fall short of these targets.
The pharmaceutical industry, being energy-intensive, faces particular scrutiny under these frameworks. The Climate Action Fund supports initiatives that contribute to Ireland's climate and energy targets in a cost-effective manner Tackling Climate Breakdown, providing potential financial backing for corporate sustainability initiatives. Companies are advancing long-term sustainability by reducing energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation, with some achieving significant results.
The sector recognizes its responsibility within the broader healthcare industry to develop innovative environmental solutions while maintaining operational excellence in drug manufacturing and research.
Case Study
The Problem
The pharmaceutical sector confronts unique obstacles in its sustainability journey due to the industry's inherent characteristics. A present challenge is not only monitoring energy efficiency improvements but also understanding how these results fit into net zero ambitions, requiring comprehensive tracking systems across operations.
A clear priority is to reduce energy waste and inefficiency in core pharmaceutical processes, otherwise utility plant requirements are unnecessarily larger and more expensive to optimize later. The industry must balance stringent regulatory compliance for drug safety and quality with environmental objectives, often requiring specialized equipment that consumes significant energy. Manufacturing processes involving biologics and complex molecules demand precise temperature and environmental controls, making energy reduction challenging without compromising product integrity.
Additionally, the sector faces pressure to maintain competitiveness while investing in costly sustainable technologies, particularly given Ireland's position as a global pharmaceutical hub where operational decisions impact international supply chains and investment attractiveness.
Our Solutions
The team at Entegral worked with a number of large multinational pharmaceutical, biopharma, and medical device companies to create energy transition strategies and develop the detailed designs and projects for achieving the relevant targets