Award-winning biologics manufacturing facility
Key Statistics
Client
Janssen Sciences
PM Group Office
Ireland
Cost
$358m

Janssen Sciences UC completed a c.19,000 sq.m. expansion to effectively double the size of its existing facility. The new ‘BioCork 2’ development at Ringaskiddy, Cork, incorporates an innovative ‘Fed Batch’ production process with four 5KL bioreactors. This project was Overall Winner of the ISPE Facility of the Year Award 2021. Also in 2020, BioCork 2 was recognised in both the ENR and CURT Awards.

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Andy Rayner
Andy Rayner

Pharmaceutical Sector Director

The project

The state of the art facility will produce new immunology and oncology treatments developed by Janssen. In addition to the new production building, the project also involved significant expansions to the warehouse, QC laboratories, finished goods freezers, office/admin and waste water treatment facilities. 

Construction of the BioCork 2 project started in 2017 and PPQ batches commenced in September 2020.

The 11,000 sqm production building was mainly designed as a single storey with the core process area on the ground floor. It is equipped with four 15,400L bioreactors for the manufacture of biologic drug substances. The facility is designed so that capacity can be further expanded with four additional 15k reactors.

Utilizing latest interactive technologies

The latest interactive technologies were utilized to help the team plan and manage the project. All teams involved in the design were able to use virtual reality for an initial collaborative review process which enabled decisions making in a timely matter and avoided costly re-work. This ultimately resulted in a schedule that was never delayed. The design and construction teams used 3D BIM Modelling to understand the installation sequence and coordination steps in detail throughout the project. Drone footage was used in weekly interactive planning sessions to highlight work areas, interactive white boards allowed sessions leaders to email all attendees directly from the screen during meetings, and 360 degree internal cameras allowed for visual oversight of the project progression and helped to identify inefficiencies.

Leading with sustainability

The new production building, labs and administration building have been certified to LEED Silver (New Construction and Major Renovations v2009).

Key sustainable metrics

  • c.27% energy savings in building and process energy.
  • > 62% water savings.
  • 40% of electrical energy demand provided by on-site renewables.
  • > 99% of construction waste generated recycled.

Services

PM Group provided site evaluation, master-planning and permitting, architecture and engineering design, procurement, construction management support, commissioning/qualification/validation and LEED AP consulting services.


More about Janssen Sciences Ringaskiddy facility

In 2005 Janssen Sciences (previously named Centocor Biologics) established its Ringaskiddy operation on a c.40 hectare site. The award-winning greenfield BioCork 1 facility produces monoclonal antibody products. It incorporates perfusion cell culture and purification processes. PM Group and our partner designed and delivered the original €300m development.

Andy Rayner

Pharmaceutical Sector Director