Powering Production: The Potential of Battery Storage in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

It is hard to imagine a more challenging energy landscape for European pharmaceutical manufacturers at present. Even before recent geopolitical developments caused energy prices to spike, industrial energy costs were, on average, over double that of the United States, and nearly 50% above those in China.[1]

Regardless of how the market may shift, the ‘energy trilemma’ that European pharmaceutical manufacturers need to manage to stay competitive remains the same:

Resilience – The ability to keep production flowing, even in the face of external challenges. A primary challenge here is the increasing unreliability of grid infrastructure, which is starting to take a real toll on European pharmaceutical manufacturers.

For instance, a customer of ours in the Republic of Ireland – a leading science and technology company – wanted to expand its manufacturing capabilities with the construction of a new facility. However, the distribution network operator informed them that a grid connection for this site would be several years away, representing a loss of hundreds of millions of Euros per annum.[1] The solution here was on-site power generation, which allowed the customer to remain resilient and ramp up production even in the face of such grid limitations.

Efficiency – Reducing on-site energy consumption while maintaining the same level of output – the cornerstone of plant energy management. While this has always been an important consideration, the recent extremes of price volatility have added a renewed incentive to cut energy consumption, and ensure that operating expenses do not eat into margins.

Sustainability – And of course, the need to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the end-to-end manufacturing operation. Like all industries, European pharmaceutical manufacturers are bound to achieving net zero by 2050, with sourcing sustainable energy to power the plant accounting for a huge part of this.

Putting your BESS foot forward

Here, battery energy storage systems (BESS) hold significant potential to address all of these challenges simultaneously, offering a credible path through this complex energy landscape. BESS are already being widely used across adjacent sectors such as construction and data centres, and European pharmaceutical manufacturers need only heed their example to witness the benefits.

When deployed correctly, these solutions can optimise energy consumption, lower the emissions of temporary power systems, and make sites far more resilient to the types of shocks that are currently impacting the market. The technology is especially valuable during periods of high demand. By storing electricity during off-peak hours when on-site energy usage is low and then discharging it during peak times, BESS can significantly reduce the higher costs utility providers charge when demand on the grid is highest.

So, what are the key applications for BESS in pharma manufacturing?

1. Providing back-up power

BESS can be used to supply resilience to primary power systems, providing reassurance and helping to ensure production continuity when emergencies strike. With the ability to deliver supplementary power far faster than a gas or diesel generator, BESS can play a critical role as a ‘stop gap’ between the grid and other back-up systems.

While BESS alone are not an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), this allows costly outages to be avoided while gas or diesel units are being brought online. This role also extends to planned maintenance and shutdowns, with BESS being ideally suited to powering tools, equipment, and safety lighting in situations with limited power access.

This application is already being realised in the sector. An Italian pharmaceutical manufacturer recently approached us when their UPS was found to be faulty during a site-wide power failure. This posed the threat of future outages with no back-up power supply, inviting further financial ramifications. Here, we supplied a 90kVA BESS complete with 25 metres of cable, which was fully integrated into the site’s set-up after a series of reactions tests, allowing production to continue without fear of further outages.

2.      Overcoming grid challenges

Pharmaceutical manufacturers suffer when the grid is unable to provide sufficient power. Here, BESS are able to act as an effective bridging solution when there are capacity issues.

For instance, when grid capacity is at maximum, BESS can absorb excess energy from the grid and store it for when supply falls short, helping to manage peaks and troughs in demand. BESS can also be used to provide virtual capacity when available power is limited, or to stabilise the network when reinforcement in necessary.

3.       Decarbonising operations

BESS can also support pharmaceutical manufacturers’ sustainable ambitions through the integration of renewables. Usually, excess energy produced by means such as wind or solar can be lost if the grid is at capacity, though BESS allows this to be stored and released as necessary, ensuring a steady and reliable power supply.

Taking this one step further, manufacturers can even opt for a decentralised microgrid, which offers total independence from national grid infrastructure. BESS can form a critical part of these systems, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

Sharing your site’s load

While the full potential of BESS is yet to be realised across industry, many European pharmaceutical manufacturers are beginning to reap the benefits. However, we understand that manufacturing is an industry that runs on certainty, and that the current energy landscape offers very little room for manoeuvre.

This is where procuring BESS on a hired basis comes into its own, providing pharma plants with the means to integrate this technology without the risk associated with an outright purchase. Through this approach, the industry can take full control of resilience, efficiency, and sustainability, allowing manufacturers to remain competitive even in the face of a shifting energy landscape.

Discover the full applications of BESS in our whitepaper, Sharing the Load.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Electricity_price_statistics#Electricity_prices_for_non-household_consumers

[2] https://www.aggreko.com/en-gb/case-studies/pharmaceuticals/power-for-pharmaceutical--manufacturer-limited-by-grid-capacity