DAS EE technology for pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and health care
All the way from planning, through switching station construction to quality assurance, the environmental experts from Dresden successfully met the high requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.
Safe Wastewater Treatment for Pharmaceutical, Healthcare and Biotech Processes
Wastewater from hospitals, healthcare facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, and biotechnological production carries bacteria, viruses, fungal spores, and changing concentrations of different active pharmaceutical ingredients – a potentially dangerous mix. Technologically sophisticated wastewater treatment is required to ensure that these substances do not end up in the environment. “The equipment and processes must both exclude any risk to people and the environment and fit seamlessly into a complex overall system,” explains Marko Hähnel, project manager at environmental technology experts, DAS Environmental Expert GmbH. How this can be successfully implemented in practice is shown by a system which the Dresden-based company built for Biotest AG in Dreieich, a town situated south of Frankfurt/Main.
Biotest AG Doubles Production Capacities for Plasma Protein Products
A manufacturer of plasma protein products and bio-therapeutic drugs, Biotest has processed up to 1.5 million litres of blood plasma each year to date. With the “Biotest Next Level” project, the company is doubling its capacities at its Dreieich headquarters. To this end, Biotest has invested 300 million euros in new facilities, including a building and laboratories. The project was started in 2013. The shell of the building was completed in 2015 and approval was granted from the building authorities in mid-2017. DAS Environmental Expert GmbH is responsible for the wastewater treatment system in the new building and is working closely with VTU Engineering, general planner and coordinator of the overall project.
DAS EE Technology Fits Perfectly Into the Planning
The planners wished for a specific solution in terms of process engineering. They found this in the portfolio of the environmental technology experts from Dresden. The wastewater treatment system consists of two sub-systems: The wastewater flows from the production areas via separate collection systems to three collection stations in the basement. From there, it is transported underground via media channels into an adjacent building and two large mixing and compensation tanks, each with a volume of approx. 300 m³, where it is collected and mixed. The wastewater is then drawn off from the mixing and compensation tanks via pumps and conveyed upwards to the neutralization system. This system is designed in two stages, ensuring a particularly high level of operational safety. It also features a pump receiver tank, an acid-alkali dosing station, and various control cabinets.
After neutralization, a pH measurement ensures that the target values are maintained. If this is not the case, the wastewater is automatically returned to the compensation tanks and treated again. When the values are correct, the wastewater is discharged into Dreieich’s municipal sewer system after passing a flow measuring device.
Exhaust Gas and Wastewater Competence From a Single Source
The company has been developing solutions for the purification of air and water since its founding in 1991. This dual competence is also proving valuable for Biotest AG. To avoid any possible nuisance odours, the supply and exhaust air from the mixing and compensation tanks is treated in a DAS system for biological exhaust air treatment. “We have provided this customer with the right DAS technology for their individual application,” enthuses Marko Hähnel. The two sub-systems ordered so far were set up between November 2015 and May 2017.
Preparation of Step-by-Step Expansion to Further Reduce Wastewater Load
The entire wastewater system is designed so that phosphate treatment and reactors for COD degradation can be added to reduce the biological load, if necessary. This makes it possible to react flexibly to more stringent requirements in the future without intervening in production. DAS Environmental Expert GmbH was able to offer particularly space-saving solutions for all the sub-systems.
When Meeting High Requirements, DAS EE Also Benefits From Its Semiconductor Experience
All the way from planning, through switching station construction to quality assurance, the environmental experts from Dresden successfully met the high requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Special attention was paid to the fact that wastewater disposal is only one part of an overall system. The customer, for example, had determined very specific specifications and standards for all project partners, with these covering the majority of components, from valve to control cabinet. DAS EE quickly adapted to the special requirements of pharmaceutical production. The company was able to benefit from its many years of experience in the semiconductor industry another industry with complex construction projects and the highest requirements for safety, reliability and cleanliness.
Seamless Integration Into a Complex Overall System
At times, more than a hundred companies were working on the construction site at the same time. Coordinating the work proved so complex that a DAS Environmental Expert GmbH project team of several members was on-site for the entire “Biotest Next Level” project. “The project contributed to the development of our company. We adapted our structures and assigned new tasks,” says project manager, Marko Hähnel.
“DAS Environmental Expert GmbH is a project partner that distinguishes itself through both competence and reliability.” “The collaboration was excellent, and the quick project realisation and exemplary service impressed us greatly.”
As a consequence, Biotest AG, has also assigned the annual maintenance and numerous follow-up orders to DAS Environmental Expert GmbH.
"From our partners, we expect fast response times, detailed documentation, and high flexibility in a continuously evolving environment. In DAS, we have found a partner that fulfils all these criteria."
Further Impressions
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