Merck has commissioned a climate-neutral co-generation plant at its production site in Goa, which manufactures vitamins.

The biomass plant, represents an investment of over euros 3 million and will ensure that the site has a reliable supply of energy to operate independently of the public power grid. More than 300 employees manufacture vitamin preparations, industrial and laboratory chemicals as well as microbiological products, among other products at this facility.

The project is part of a company-wide Pramod Pimplikar, Director- Technical Operations, GMS- Merck Serono. Merck previously commissioned a new co-generation plant at its headquarters in Darmstadt in July.

Dr.T hierry Hulot, executive vice president, Head, Global Manufacturing & Supply and Member of Merck Pharmaceutical executive committee visited India on the occasion and inaugurated the plant.

“Our new climate-neutral co-generation plant in Goa has a tremendous power output for our pharmaceutical and chemical production operations. In the manufacture of our products, we seek to impact the environment as little as possible. As a responsible company, we express our respect to the environment in an industrial plant that provides medicines for millions of patients in India”, he said.

Merck's Goa site at Usgao is around 45 kilometers from Panaji. This co-generation unit, which has a power output of three megawatts, generates electricity and steam for the pharmaceutical and chemical production operations in Goa. It is mainly recycling the shells of cashews and coconuts, two crops that are farmed in the region, to use as biomass. Overall, this will make it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 11,500 metrics tons, corresponding to around 85 per cent of the site's total CO2 emissions.

“We aim to reduce CO2 emission by 85 per cent and deliver clean, green, efficient, reliable power and steam supply, improving efficiencies and contributing to the country’s interest. By 2020 Merck KGaA has committed to reduce its global CO2 emissions by 20 per cent and we are happy to be in a position to contribute to those efforts” said Pramod Pimplikar, director-technical Operations, GMS- Merck Serono.

The climate protection programme Edison comprises around 300 climate protection and energy efficiency activities of the Merck Group. The objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation as well as to enhance the energy efficiency of research and production processes. The company aims to reduce its total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, measured against the 2006 baseline. At its site in Jaffrey, New Hampshire (USA), Merck plans to commission a further biomass central heating plan next year.