MODERNA THERAPEUTICS INC. Cooling Tower, Norwood, Massachusetts | US Cooling Infrastructure

MODERNA THERAPEUTICS INC. operates a cooling tower facility located at 1 Upland Rd, Norwood, Massachusetts, United States. The plant supports pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing, including vaccine production, and is situated in an industrial area near Boston. As a cooling tower facility, it provides heat rejection for HVAC and process cooling systems essential for maintaining controlled environments in drug manufacturing. The facility operates under U.S. regulations, including ASHRAE 15 for refrigeration safety and the EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) for refrigerant management. Cooling towers in this region typically use water-based evaporative cooling, which can have high water consumption but offers efficient heat rejection. The plant's NAICS codes indicate diverse activities including pharmaceutical preparation, plastics product manufacturing, and industrial machinery. Cooling towers play a critical role in maintaining temperature stability for pharmaceutical processes, ensuring product quality and safety. The facility's location in Norwood, Massachusetts, places it within a dense industrial corridor with access to skilled labor and infrastructure. Its operational status supports the local economy and contributes to the regional pharmaceutical supply chain.

Cooling towers in the pharmaceutical sector often use evaporative cooling, which consumes significant water and may require water treatment to prevent scale and biological growth. Refrigerant use in associated chillers is regulated under the EPA's SNAP program to phase down high-global-warming-potential (GWP) substances. The facility's environmental impact depends on water source, discharge quality, and refrigerant management practices.