Fujifilm Invests $1.2 Billion in Cell Culture Bio-Manufacturing Facility Expansion

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Fujifilm announced on April 11, 2024 an additional $1.2 billion investment in its large-scale cell culture contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) through an expansion to its end-to-end bio-manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina. This expansion brings the total investment in the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnoloigies facility to over $3.2 billion and will support additional large-scale production capacity to the company’s global manufacturing network, creating an additional 680 jobs by 2031.

The investment in the Holly Springs facility will add 8 x 20,000 liters (L) mammalian cell culture bioreactors by 2028, adding to the initially planned 8 x 20,000 L for bulk drug substance. This new facility, which is partly funded by a Job Development Investment Grant from the state of North Carolina, allows for further expansions with additional bioreactors, clearing the way for future partnerships. The facility taps into Fujiflm’s KojoX modular production model, which supports supply chain resiliency by allowing customers to integrate their drug manufacturing production needs regardless of facility location.

“This investment is an important step to further accelerate the growth of our biopharmaceutical CDMO business,” said Teiichi Goto, president and chief executive officer, representative director, FUJIFILM Corporation, in the press release. “Fujifilm is committed to advancing a healthier society, and we are proud that our people, and this site in Holly Springs will play a vital role in supporting our partners in producing critical therapies to serve the needs of patients” (1).

The investment also supports sustainability initiatives that contribute to net-zero operations. Through renewable landfill gas, onsite solar, and 125,000 MWh of yearly sustainable solar energy from a virtual power purchase agreement Fujifilm made in November 2023, all of the energy required for operations is expected to be offset. That power agreement, made between Fujifilm and the Blevins Solar Project, accounted for 300,000 MWh of annual sustainable solar energy, offsetting all of Fujifilm’s electrical use in the United States and Canada, which was equivalent to approximately 90,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions per year at the time of the agreement. At the time, this was around 9% of Fujifilm’s total CO₂ emissions (2).

Fujifilm reported that its additional sustainability goals for water and waste reduction fall in line with the company’s sustainable value plan for 2030. The company also reported initiatives such as diverting 90% of construction waste from landfill, the installation of heat recovery chiller systems (meant to magnify efficiency between boilers and the chilled water system), the use of low embodied carbon concrete with waste fly ash, and the installation of ultra-low Nitrogen Oxide boilers, which Fujifilm says leads to a 50% reduction in nitrogen emissions (1).

References

1. Fujifilm, Fujifilm to Invest Additional $1.2 Billion to Expand its Large-Scale Cell Culture CDMO Business in North Carolina. April 11, 2024. fujifilmdiosynth.com (accessed Apr. 12, 2024).
2. Fujifilm, Fujifilm Announces Signing of Virtual Power Purchase Agreement Offsetting 100% of its North American Electricity Use. fujifilm.com (accessed Apr. 15, 2024.

Source: Fujifilm