Regeneron acquired the 400,000sq ft plant in Raheen, Limerick from computer manufacturer Dell in July 2013 investing $300m (€265m) to convert it into a biomanufacturing site for biopharmaceuticals, including monoclonal antibodies.
US tech firm Abec – which also operates a facility in Ireland – was hired to provide bulk bioprocess and clean utilities, including process and equipment engineering, 3-D design, equipment manufacturing, process automation, site installation and commissioning.
Daniel Van Plew, Regeneron Executive Vice President and General Manager, commended Abec the speed with which it had completed the project.
“All large, complex engineering projects are full of twists and turns from beginning to end. Raheen was no exception, and ABEC's approach gave us the ability to navigate the gremlins we encountered along the way.”
He added that: “It's amazing to have created something this massive, this quickly, and to have done it the right way."
Speed
This was echoed by an Abec spokeswoman who told us "typically plants of this size and scope have taken at least 48 months, often longer, to achieve licensure."
She added that: "Gremlins refers to the typical challenges you see with projects of this size and scope, such as scope clarity and accountability, component supply chain issues, construction site coordination, and management of change.
“ABEC’s Integrated Solution dramatically improves the customer’s ability to address these challenges."