In 2008 Janssen began collaborating with DePuy Synthes, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Novartis to form the Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group (CLHEG), a unique industry collaboration focused on developing a green solution to escalating energy costs at their respective facilities in Cork, Ireland utilizing wind energy. The installation of one wind turbine at each site is expected to reduce site-specific electricity costs by up to 30 percent and generate up to three megawatts of electricity.

The project is in line with the Irish government’s policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the Johnson & Johnson goal to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent before 2020. The CLHEG project allows Janssen to significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emissions generated during its site production process and to further its mission of environmental responsibility. The carbon dioxide reduction at all three sites is estimated at approximately 14,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year – equivalent to taking 7,300 cars off the road.

Data from a two-year bird study conducted to determine the impact the turbines would have on wildlife was used to apply for permission to install the turbines. Over a 16-month period, the turbines were manufactured in Germany and transported by sea to a local port to complete the installation. This activity culminated in the activation of Janssen’s wind turbine in May of 2014. Ireland’s Research and Innovation Minister Seán Sherlock, who flipped the switch on Janssen’s wind turbine, stated, “Wind energy will safeguard jobs, provide security of energy supply, help Ireland meet its European Union carbon reduction targets and reduce our dependence on expensive fossil fuels.”

Janssen is proud to be a part of the CLHEG project, a great example of a healthy balance between environmental awareness, social responsibility and economic success.