ELGA makes rental an option for water purification
solution for pharmaceutical manufacturers wishing to reduce both
capital expenditure and associated running costs.
The UK-based company, which is part of the Veolia Water group, said that the All-in-Pack package offers drug manufacturing firms with the option to either buy or rent water treatment and purification facilities for a fixed quarterly payment, allowing them to refocus capital expenditure on core business areas. At present, the high cost of water purification technologies often leads firms to adopt the solution that is the cheapest to set up despite the fact that such technologies may be associated with higher running costs in the longer term, according to ELGA. Additionally, with a high level of outsourcing already employed in the pharmaceutical sector, the All-in-Pack package will be targeting an industry that is receptive to the idea of segmenting responsibility in manufacturing operations. For example, new contract manufacturing organisations wishing to reduce their capital costs may be particularly interested in the product. Many manufacturers would prefer to rent ELGA's National Service director John Pethers said that All-in-Pack package is based on extensive consultation with the firm's industrial clients. He commented that, when given the option of buying or renting water treatment facilities and equipment "a surprising number [of customers] said they'd prefer to rent." Pethers added that "usually a [water treatment] scheme with higher capital cost gives lower operating costs, but its surprising how often the budget dictates that the customer buys the lowest capital cost plant and has to live with operating costs that are higher than they need be." He went on to say that All-in-Pack works "whether the customer wants a single piece of equipment like, say, a PURELAB Ultra or a complete pharmaceutical water system," adding that "in either case we work with the customer to decide the right technical solution and level of service cover, then we supply, deliver, commission and service the equipment." The technical solutions offered by the package are dependant on both the quality of available raw water to the client firm and the quantity required. For example, for some manufacturers a relatively simple reverse osmosis solution is sufficient, while for other companies more complex ion exchange based purification methods are needed. Jeremy Wakeham, ELGA's business development manager told in-PharmaTechnologist.com: "we have a number of projects running around Europe. The only company we currently have client permission to mention in the press is Albion Chemicals in the UK." Wakeham added that the package, which is currently available in France, the UK, Spain and Germany, is designed to be "flexible, and can include a mix of equipment and services. Typically the contract includes the equipment, installation, and routine maintenance for three or five years."
