A LIMERICK-based manufacturing site is leading the way for sustainable building achieving LEED Gold Certification.
Limerick’s Lilly facility is the first facility from the international pharmaceutical company globally to meet the recognised standard for sustainable building design and operations.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building system is awarded to projects for superior performance in areas like energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, and indoor air quality.
This means the Limerick will continue to integrate  energy-efficient design, high-efficiency building systems, renewable energy planning, and minimal reliance on fossil fuels.
Lilly Limerick broke ground in January 2023 and is on track to producing the biologic active ingredients for the company’s Alzheimer’s disease portfolio and other biologic medicines.
A fully integrated digital site is also in operation with the latest machine automation, manufacturing execution and data technologies designed to ensure product and data quality as part of Lilly’s 2030 sustainability goals.
According to the manufacturer, this achievement “reinforces Limerick’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for sustainable, high-value manufacturing, demonstrating that environmental leadership and world-class production go hand in hand”.
A significant contributor to the Lilly Limerick LEED certification, the company says, is the site’s sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) for rainwater management that has been implemented site-wide. The system is designed to manage rainfall in a more sustainable manner compared to traditional drainage methods by allowing rain to infiltrate into the ground as if the site wasn’t there, preserving the natural hydrology and protecting local aquifers.
The primary goals of SUDS are to mimic natural water processes, reduce the risk of water runoff pressure to local aquifers, improve water quality, and enhance the urban environment.