Planning WFI (Water for Injection) systems is a complex and demanding task that must take many factors into account. Since 2017, the production of WFI using membrane technology, which is referred to as “cold” WFI production, has also been permitted in Europe. Since then, there have been further options for designing the generation system and distribution systems when planning WFI systems. One motivation for allowing cold WFI production was energy efficiency, which is crucial for both the environment and economics. Producing pure water used for the production of injectable drugs requires high energy input as the water must go through a combination of thermal, physical and chemical purification steps.
In general, membrane technology is associated with several advantages over “hot” processes, such as lower acquisition, operating and energy costs, less space required, less maintenance and lower environmental impact. When it comes to energy costs, the presentation will explore this in more detail and perhaps offer some unexpected perspectives.
The presentation provides an overview of the most important aspects of planning WFI systems with a focus on energy, such as the choice and possibilities of the energy source, the selection of the generating system and the operating temperature of the distribution system, taking into account the amount of energy, the energy costs and the sustainability in form of the CO2