MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, announces the opening of the company’s first manufacturing facility designed for climate-neutral operations in Blarney Business Park, Cork, Ireland. This milestone marks a significant step towards the company’s commitment to achieving a 50% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions and 52% per Euro value added in Scope 3 emissions by 2030 (compared to 2020 baselines) and climate neutrality by 2040.
The €150 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, dedicated to producing filtration devices, was built following the company’s Sustainable Building Guidelines – an internal program that outlines sustainability considerations to reduce the environmental impact for capital expenditures. The result is a facility that not only raises the bar for manufacturing sustainability but also aligns with the company’s long-term sustainability commitments.
Key sustainability highlights of the Blarney facility include:
- 100% renewable electricity: Sourced locally through a Power Purchase Agreement, covering all operations at the site.
- Compressed air system: Expected to avoid an estimated 61 metric tons of CO2e emissions annually through compression dryers and an energy recovery system.
- Water efficiency: More than 95% of the purified water used in manufacturing will be reused, significantly improving water stewardship and operational efficiency.
- Heat pump technology: Provides all the heating and cooling needs of the facility.
Beyond the company’s investments in new facilities, it is also investing in existing infrastructure to drive long-term impact. Through its EDISON program, the company plans to allocate approximately €125 million between 2022 and 2030 to fund high-impact energy and water efficiency opportunities across the company’s global footprint. In 2025, €11.7 million will support 50 projects across 30 sites globally.
Learn more about the sustainability efforts of MilliporeSigma by visiting its sustainability and social business innovation webpage.
