● SK Chemical’s Vaccine Plant in Andong Certified as World’s Greenest Pharmaceutical Plant

- Plant scores ‘gold’ based on LEED, a US eco-certification authority
- Highest rating among international pharmaceutical companies and all plants in Korea
- Headquarters and plant both achieve the ‘gold’ rating

SK Chemical’s vaccine plant in Andong has been certified as the most eco-friendly pharmaceutical company in the world.

Chairman Lee In-seok of SK Chemical’s Life Science Biz announced on October 28 that the company’s cell culture-based vaccine production plant in Andong has just been rated as the world’s first ‘gold’ level pharmaceutical plant.

LEED was established by a group of non-government professionals operating under the name of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998. The ecological rating system is considered one of the world’s three most recognized certifications along with the UK’s BREEAM and Japan’s CASBEE.

The rating system evaluates an establishment according to a wide range of criteria including energy, water source, waste output, recycling capability, maintenance and repairs, interior and exterior environment, and classifies the overall result under one of the following categories: platinum, gold, silver, and general.

Chairman Lee In-seok of SK Chemical said, “The overall construction fee and ventilation system were costly but we were determined to keep our business green because that is what we believe in.”

SK Chemical began constructing its vaccine plant, which can produce 140 million doses of vaccine per year at full capacity, in June 2011 on a 63,000㎡ lot. It is the first cell culture-based vaccine plant in Korea and the nation’s largest.

Companies are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues and have been incorporating green elements into their newer plants and factories, but the highest rating achieved to date by any corporation is silver. Pharmaceutical plants in particular have difficulty achieving such standards, as they already have to meet the strict Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) which requires them to completely seal certain procedures and maintain very high standards of hygiene.

SK Chemical’s vaccine plant in Andong adheres to the prevailing GMP standards as well as cutting water consumption, and has adopted sixteen new eco-friendly technologies. The plant is lit by LED lights while its toilets consume recycled water and are designed to use less water. Overall, the facility runs on 30% less energy than other factory plants of the same size.

The building is fitted with a unique ventilation and temperature monitoring system. Not only is the Andong plant the first and largest ever cell culture-based vaccine plant in Korea, it is also the first and best environmentally-aware establishment.

SK Chemical’s headquarters and research center (Eco Lab) at Pangyo were awarded a platinum rating by LEED in 2011. The building was the first business structure to make it into the top tier of the evaluation system in Korea.

Bae Jae-ho, head of Corporate Culture Division, said, “We have come this far thanks to the staff’s dedication to the company philosophy. SK chemicals will continue to play a significant role in society.”

SK Chemical’s cell culture-based vaccine production plant was built by SK Constructions and overseen by the eco consulting company Eco Lead.



Introducing SK chemicals Cell Vaccine Plant, Andong
SK Chemical has established Korea’s first major cell culture-based influenza vaccine production facility inside the Gyeongbuk Bio Industry Complex in Andong in a bid to build a solid lead in Korea’s vaccine industry. The project was backed by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy as part of its plan to support the production of vaccine components in the mega-city region.
Viruses are cultivated in the cell culture medium to produce vaccines in what is a much more advanced technique than simply using fertilized embryos.
The plant is currently producing a sample medication for use in clinical tests. Once the testing is over, the plant will start producing vaccines using next-generation cell cultivation technologies.
The new cultivation method will cut down production periods by half and allow mass production, which will in turn help the medical authorities to take swift action in the event that a pandemic - whether a new flu virus or some other infectious disease – hits the nation.
Multinational giants such as Novartis and Baxter have successfully capitalized on the new technology. SK Chemical is closest to commercialization in Korea, having been issued with a clinical test permit in late August this year.

Eco-friendly Plant
A proper eco-friendly plant must be ‘green’ in terms of materials procurement, production, and disposal. Furthermore, its energy and resource consumption must be kept to a minimum while its working environment must be pleasant and healthy for employees.

Photo caption

[SK Chemical’s Life Science Biz. Andong’s ‘gold’ rating certificate from LEED]


[SK Chemical’s eco-friendly plant in Andong, the world’s first and best pharmaceutical plant]