Dr. Roland Mohr, managing director of Infraserv, opened a new facility for the production of pharmaceutical water today during a ceremony in Industriepark Höchst with Wilhelm Dietzel, the German state of Hesse's minister of environment, rural areas and consumer protection. The nearly 20-million-euro project marks the end of a decade-long modernization of the park's pharmaceutical water supply system.
The facility, together with a special distribution system for pharmaceutical water that was completed in 2000, is the largest of its kind in the world. It will help keep customers at the site, particularly the pharmaceutical company sanofi-aventis, supplied with consistently high-quality water for pharmaceutical production while significantly reducing ground-water consumption.
"Responsibility for conserving our resources of ground water is a common task that we must all pursue with dedication. High quality and guaranteed quantity, paired with personal responsibility for the correct use of water, is a reliable foundation for water-management policies in Hesse," said Dietzel in his welcoming address.
A pharmaceutical and chemical production site uses a lot of water, which is the primary source of cooling and heating as well as the most important solvent and cleaning agent in production processes. Every year, 400 million cubic meters of water are used in Industriepark Höchst, an amount equal to a tenth of Frankfurt's annual consumption of drinking water.
About 96 percent of the park's water comes from the Main River, some of which is specially treated and used more than once. Only about 1 percent comes out of the ground. This low figure is possible due to the new facility for the production of pharmaceutical water and the distribution system that goes with it. Since this extremely clean water is produced and distributed separately, all the other kinds of water needed in the industrial park can be drawn from the river and distributed in independent systems.
Pharmaceutical water is "purified water." It is used in the industrial park by sanofi-aventis; by Diabel, its joint venture with Pfizer; and by Sandoz and Nutrinova in the production of medicines and food additives. Drinking water, or ground water processed as such, serves as the raw water for the production of pharmaceutical water. In a multistage process, all salts are removed from this drinking water, and organic substances are reduced to a barely measurable level. At the end of the treatment process, the water meets the strict pharmaceutical standards of both the European Union and United States.
Accordingly, quality-control for pharmaceutical water involves a lot of effort. Infraserv Höchst's new production and distribution system is the largest of its kind in the world, and at the cutting edge of technology as regards dimensions, materials, production techniques and procedures. This ensures that prescribed quality standards for pharmaceutical water are not simply met but – with an eye to the future – surpassed.
"We see this project as yet another building block that enhances our site's attractiveness. But it's also a mark of confidence by the companies producing here that worked closely with us on the project," said Dr. Mohr in his welcoming address. "After all, the production and supply of 'purified water' in the production of pharmaceuticals is central to our customers' production and inspection safety."
"Water really does play a central role for us since many vital medicinal substances can be safely given to patients only in a highly purified form of this solvent," added Dr. Rudolf Lehnert of sanofi-aventis in his address. "Infraserv Höchst is a reliable supplier of high-quality pharmaceutical water for us – particularly now that this new facility has been completed. That's one reason I wish Infraserv trouble-free operations in this facility always."
Hesse Environment Minister Wilhelm Dietzel and Infraserv Managing Director Dr. Roland Mohr open the facility for the production of pharmaceutical water.
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The facility for the production of pharmaceutical water in Industriepark Höchst. Three buffer tanks for pharmaceutical water can be seen. The largest tank, with a volume of 200 cubic meters, is part of the distribution system. The two tanks in back, each with a volume of 75 cubic meters, were built together with the production facility.
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A glimpse into the interior of the production facility. Here one can see reverse osmosis, in which a large portion of the salts and organic substances are removed from the water.
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Infraserv Höchst, based in Frankfurt am Main, is a leading service provider and complete site operator for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Known in full as Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG, it supplies companies in the process industry with products and services in the fields of energy, facility management, environmental protection, safety and waste disposal. The Infraserv Höchst Group comprises the wholly-owned subsidiaries Infraserv Logistics, Provadis, chemfidence, and Technion.
Infraserv GmbH & Co. Höchst KG has 2,089 employees and 209 trainees. The Infraserv Höchst Group has some 3,000 employees. In 2004, Infraserv Höchst, including the subsidiaries, posted about 907 million euros in revenues.
Frankfurt-Höchst Industrial Park is the site of more than 80 companies in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, basic and specialty chemicals, pesticides, food additives, and commercial services. Approximately 22,000 people work daily in the Park, which covers 460 hectares; 89 hectares remain open for occupancy. In 2004, the Park's companies invested about 390 million euros at the site.
You can find all of Infraserv Höchst's press releases and photographs on the Internet at http://www.infraserv.com. The press hotline is (069) 305-5413.
Michael Müller
Phone +49 69 305-7952
Fax +49 69 305-80025
michael.mueller3@infraserv.com
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