Janssen Pharmaceutica

Janssen Geotherm project & heating network

Sector

Life sciences

Project Value

€60m

Project Location

Beerse, Belgium

The challenge

Fuelling Janssen’s R&D with geothermal energy

Our client, Janssen Phamaceutica, wanted to roll out an innovative geothermal programme at its Beerse site in Belgium. This major life sciences construction project aimed to reduce the company’s carbon emissions, increase the supply of renewable energy on site and enable the decommissioning of existing, ageing utility systems.

To achieve this, they needed to tap into a local geothermal reservoir, 2.5km below the surface, installing a fourth generation heat net. This would enable the geothermal energy to provide sustainable heat and cooling for a number of key R&D buildings, with the potential to expand in future, creating a ring to power the entire site.

The role we're playing

This complex project has involved drilling, testing and optimising two wells down into the Dinantian layer to access the reservoir, as well as constructing and starting the new heat net.

An energy building, complete with pump and heat exchanger systems, is being built to connect the energy supply with the site’s hot and cold water networks, and the R&D buildings are being connected to the heat net. Several roads have been excavated, and these will be reinstated as the project reaches its final stages.

From the outset, our construction consultants have worked closely with the Janssen team to make all of this possible. We’ve helped them obtain and comply with subsidies, insurance and permits, and created an integrated project schedule to keep the complex works on track, including resource projections, progress reporting and team coordination.

Our estimation and costing experts have provided cost forecasting, risk assessments and reporting, as well as estimate validation, savings capture and payment application reviews. Crucially, as the project involved 24-hour drilling, we implemented a rapid-turnaround daily change control procedure to ensure cost certainty and manage scope change.

The results

This project builds on Pulse Consult’s close working relationship with Janssen, and our growing portfolio of life sciences construction projects. Once complete, it will enable the Janssen team to power 30% of the site (and 2% of its global operations) using renewable energy, reducing its carbon emissions by 30% at Beerse and 1.5% worldwide.