Sustainability in pharma with hot water sterilizers from Syntegon

Balancing sustainability, efficiency, and profitability in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry presents a major challenge to manufacturers. Syntegon faces this challenge as a strategic partner alongside its customers – with technological innovations that help them achieve their sustainability goals without compromising on performance.

The HWBV sterilizer (hot water sprinkling process) from Syntegon subsidiary SBM Schoeller-Bleckmann-Medizintechnik embodies this approach. Pharmaceutical manufacturers use it to sterilize plastic or glass containers such as vials or ampoules.

The challenge: high energy consumption during sterilization

The process is energy-intensive: water is typically heated to around 120 degrees Celsius, sprayed over the containers, and then cooled down again. Since circulation water typically accounts for 40 percent of the energy balance of the entire process, it plays a significant role for both costs and emissions for pharmaceutical companies.

Thanks to targeted adjustments, customers can now save energy, water and operating costs when using the HWBV sterilizer. The principle is as simple as it is effective: By reducing the volume flow of process water in the pumps, the system requires less electric energy. At the same time, newly designed distribution and product trays optimize the film coverage on the containers, which improves heat transfer.

Innovation with measurable results

Using less water – and using it more efficiently – in turn allows for smaller pumps, heat exchangers and pipes, which results in additional circulation water reductions. This improved design, which can also be customized to individual products, even allows for reduced process times in some cases. Thanks to advanced simulation methods (CFD) and extensive testing, the various technical optimizations yield impressive results:

Up to 20% less process water used for sterilization
Up to 10% less carbon emissions and energy costs
Up to 7% reduced process times in heating and cooling stages

Support that goes further

For companies with particularly ambitious sustainability goals, Syntegon also offers an energy recovery system that can reduce energy consumption by an additional 35 to 45 percent. This is complemented by comprehensive consulting services. Because Syntegon knows: true sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry can only be achieved through technical innovation – and through shared, strategic implementation.

Discover our solutions for pharmaceutical sterilization!