British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is set to invest $135 million to expand the manufacturing operations at its Södertälje, Sweden facility by 50%. The project involves a 2,700-square-meter extension of an existing building and the installation of new equipment for filling biological drugs into prefilled syringes, as announced recently.
The expanded facility is expected to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2027, with an unspecified number of new jobs to be created as a result of the project.
“The planned expansion will enhance our capacity to deliver high-quality, life-changing medicines to patients worldwide,” said Per Alfredsson, AstraZeneca’s Senior Vice President for Global Biologics Operations. “It also reflects our confidence in the talent and potential of the region.”
AstraZeneca has designated the Södertälje site as a “global launch facility” to support its growing biologics portfolio. With the majority of its pipeline consisting of biologics, the site is well-positioned with the technology and capacity to bring these innovative therapies to market.
This expansion follows a deal made last year between AstraZeneca and Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy producer, to supply wind power to the Södertälje facility. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will purchase 200 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually for 10 years, covering about 80% of the company’s total electricity needs at both the Södertälje manufacturing site and its research facility in Gothenburg.
The expansion aligns with AstraZeneca’s broader sustainability initiative, Ambition Zero Carbon, which aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy, and investing in carbon removal solutions.