Sanofi Pasteur receives $10.6M RISE PA grant

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State officials visited the Sanofi Pasteur‘s Swiftwater vaccine manufacturing facility on Friday to announce a new Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) grant to help reduce green house gas emissions, lower energy costs and improve efficiency.

The $10.6 million dollar grand will help replace eight natural gas fired dehydrators that are used to process and dispose of egg waste that is generated during vaccine production.

It will be replaced with a new paddle dryer and regenerative thermal oxidizer, which will modernize the facility’s operations with cleaner energy equipment and reduce natural gas use by around 65 percent.

“Here in Monroe County, we’re helping reduce energy costs, create jobs, and cut down on harmful air pollution by ensuring businesses like Sanofi can operate more efficiently and continue their lifesaving work producing nearly half of our nation’s flu vaccine supply,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The RISE PA grant program is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization initiative funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants

“For 15 years, Sanofi has invested more than $1.3 billion in capital investment into its Swiftwater campus and today’s grant builds on that legacy of investment — not just expanding output, but in making the operation cleaner and more sustainable for the long term,” said Monroe County Commissioner John Christy. “The company speaks to both the strength of this project and the importance of our county to Pennsylvania’s industrial future. This investment has a real impact and we’re proud that Monroe County continues to be a place where world-class companies choose to invest, grow, and modernize.”

In Swiftwater, Sanofi specializes in the development and production of vaccines — and at the site, Sanofi manufactures approximately 42 percent of all influenza vaccine doses that protect Americans each year.

By replacing the natural gas fired hydrators with a new, more energy efficient dryer and oxidizer, the project will reduce 516 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent within its first year of operation. The project will also create approximately 40 new jobs, including union construction jobs.