Celtic Renewables joins UK consortium to accelerate low-carbon medicine manufacturing

Scottish green chemical producer has received a share of £7 million to help overcome the barriers to bio‑based solvent production and uptake in the pharmaceutical industry.

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Grangemouth, Scotland - Tuesday 5 May 2026 - Scottish green chemical producer Celtic Renewables has been awarded a share of £7 million to support the production of bio-based chemicals, as part of a new UK consortium established by innovation funding specialist Ayming and sustainability consultancy ERM.

The consortium is set to operate for 36 months, and during that time will refine pharmaceutical-grade bio-based solvents that reduce lifecycle emissions while maintaining the high purity needed for medicine production.

Solvents are essential to pharmaceutical production but are currently a major contributor to Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in medicine manufacturing.

To date, the high production costs of bio-based solvents combined with the high purity profile required in pharmaceuticals have impeded the wider uptake of bio-solvents in the sector.

Members of the new consortium will work together to overcome production barriers by using advanced membrane purification technologies to industrialise bio-based solvents made without fossil fuels - all of which can be adopted without changes to existing manufacturing processes or infrastructure.

The £7 million in funding is supplied by Innovate UK and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It is part of Innovate UK’s Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Programme (SMMIP), which focuses on developing disruptive technologies nationwide.

Bettina Brierley, Chief Commercial Officer, Celtic Renewables, said, “Pharmaceutical firms face the same challenge as other sectors about how to reduce their use of fossil fuels and lower their indirect Scope 3 emissions.

“Currently, fossil-based solvents are used in a range of pharmaceutical applications, including as active ingredients in pharmaceutical manufacturing, as reagents, and in high-precision laboratory cleaning.”

Ms Brierley continued, “In the UK, the NHS has put in place clear net zero targets to encourage its suppliers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, both direct and indirect. If they don’t, they risk losing their contracts.

“Expect other countries to adopt similar regulations, either through their healthcare providers or directly by government intervention, if they haven’t done so already,” she added.

Ms Brierley explained, “Solvents are a significant source of Scope 3 emissions in a pharmaceutical firm’s supply chain. Replacing fossil-derived solvents in medicines with bio-based green alternatives would give suppliers the opportunity to reach these net zero targets.

“This funded project by the consortium is a vital step in decoupling solvent production from fossil fuels and future-proofing the resilience and sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry.”

The consortium is made up of 12 technology providers, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies, including: AstraZeneca, Exactmer, Queen Mary University London, Atmospheric AI, Solve Chemistry, OXCCU, Celtic Renewables, the University of Leeds, GSK, CPI, Croda and Cytiva.