Fermion Opens New Storage Facility for Large Volume APIs

In the summer of 2011, Fermion began construction on a new finished product storage area for APIs produced at its plant in Hanko, Finland. This expansion was necessitated by higher than expected API volumes.  Construction was completed in November and the facility is now fully operational.

Before this, both quarantined and released products were stored in the same building.  The new facility improves storage logistics as quarantined products and released products are now stocked in separate storage areas. This arrangement considerably simplifies the flow of materials and reduces handling times.

The new facility provides Fermion with over 70,000 ft³ of new storage space with a 2,600 ft² footprint and a ceiling height of more than 26 ft. The facility features a push-back pallet rack system that will hold up to 198 pallets.  This space is expected to be sufficient to handle an API output exceeding 400 MT/year.

In addition to providing much needed storage space, the new building was designed to maximize energy efficiency.  To supplement conventional heat recovery, waste heat is also captured from the compressors located in the basement of the facility. This solution is expected to cover nearly all of the facility’s heating needs during inclement Hanko winters and was designed by Fermion’s own employees.

Overall, the design and construction of this project required the cooperation of many stakeholders as well as input from several Fermion employees.  All phases were completed in line with the original plan and timetable.  Fermion customers who have already seen this new facility have commended the facility’s efficiency, order, and systematic layout.  This is not the first time that visitors have called Fermion’s Hanko plant ‘one of the best API plants they have ever seen.’