Delivering critical power infrastructure for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing

Project summary:

• Sector: Pharmaceuticals
  
• Location: Swindon, England
• Client: Catalent Pharma Solutions
• Expertise: Electrical Engineering – Switchgear
• Scope: Design, Build, Project Management, Installation, Commissioning
• Technology used: Schneider Electric Okken Switchboards with Polyfast System, EcoStruxure Power Monitoring

The Benefits

• Safe power system maintenance with maximum protection for personnel and equipment.
• Live modifications enabled without disrupting production.
• Modular system deployed to support future expansion.
• Real-time insights for smarter maintenance and energy management.

Our Client

Catalent Pharma Solutions is a global leader in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, dedicated to delivering unparalleled service to pharma, biotech, and consumer health customers. The company supports product development, launch, and full life-cycle supply with time-tested experience in development sciences, delivery technologies, and multi-modality manufacturing.

Powered by thousands of scientists and technicians across more than 40 global sites, Catalent supplies billions of doses of life-enhancing and life-saving treatments for patients annually, supporting the launch of more than a hundred new products every year.

Catalent’s Swindon facility produces tablets using an innovative freeze-dried tablet technology that dissolves rapidly on the tongue without water. The site makes around 1.2 billion tablets per year and employs over 650 people.

The Challenge

Catalent required a critical electrical infrastructure upgrade to support a new production line. The project presented several unique challenges:

• Tight Timeline: The production line needed to be operational quickly to meet pharmaceutical manufacturing schedules, where delays could have had significant commercial and patient care implications.
• Complex Substation Layout: The existing substation configuration posed design challenges for integrating new switchboards. The space required a bespoke solution that could accommodate the facility’s specific constraints.
• Modular Power Distribution Requirements: The electrical panels needed to be designed with flexibility in mind, allowing for current needs and future expansion.
• Raised Floor Installation: The switchboards required custom-designed panel stands to integrate with the facility’s raised flooring system – a common feature in switch rooms to allow for flexible routing of utilities and easy access for maintenance.

Working as part of the MA24 Main Contractor design and build team, Actemium was selected to deliver two Okken LV Switchboards and associated basement panel stands based on our licensed partnerships with Schneider Electric, to design and build Okken Switchgear.

The Solution

Actemium delivered a comprehensive electrical infrastructure package comprising:

• Two LV (Low Voltage) Switchboards: Form 4 Type 6 disconnectable configuration
• Intelligent Power Monitoring Network

Both switchboards were equipped with advanced power monitoring systems integrated with EcoStruxure – Schneider Electric’s IoT-enabled platform for building management. This system provides:

• Real-time monitoring of electrical parameters (voltage, current, power consumption, power quality)
• Early warning alerts for potential electrical faults
• Energy consumption analytics to support operational efficiency
• Seamless integration with existing building management system (BMS)

Bespoke Panel Stands

Custom-designed and fabricated stands to accommodate the raised floor system, ensuring proper load distribution, cable management, and compliance with facility standards.

Delivery Process

Actemium managed the complete project lifecycle:

1. Design: Collaborated with MA24 and the chosen electrical contractor to develop electrical schematics and panel stand specifications tailored to the substation’s unique layout constraints
2. Manufacturing: Built both Okken switchboards to pharmaceutical industry standards in our workshop, with quality assurance testing before delivery.
3. Installation: Coordinated on-site installation of panel stands and switchboards, working within the constraints of an active pharmaceutical facility.
4. Integration: Configured and commissioned the intelligent power monitoring network, ensuring seamless communication with existing building management systems.
5. Commissioning: Completed final testing and handover, ensuring all systems met specification requirements.

Client Benefits

• Operational Resilience. The Form 4 Type 6 configuration provides the highest level of safety and operational continuity for our client. Maintenance personnel can now work on individual circuits with confidence, knowing that robust internal separation protects both personnel and adjacent equipment.
• Business Continuity. Due to the critical nature of pharmaceutical manufacturing, the Schneider Okken Polyfast disconnectable system delivers substantial business value. Catalent can now safely modify, remove, or add electrical feeders while the system remains live, ensuring uninterrupted production operations and significantly reducing the costs associated with planned and unplanned shutdowns.
• Future-Proofing. The modular design allows Catalent to adapt their electrical infrastructure as production requirements evolve, supporting the addition of new manufacturing equipment or process modifications without major electrical infrastructure overhauls.
• Enhanced Monitoring & Control. Integration with EcoStruxure provides facility managers with unprecedented visibility into electrical system performance, enabling proactive maintenance, energy optimisation, and rapid fault diagnosis.