UVC‑LED tunnel: Cheaper, more consistent and more sustainable disinfection for hospital pharmacy

A hospital pharmacy currently spends thousands of hours and large amounts of chemicals on manual disinfection. With a UVC‑LED tunnel, they will get an automated process with consistent quality, an annual saving of approximately DKK 2 million, and a reduction in CO₂e emissions from 15,000 to 820 kg per year. An investment that pays for itself in less than one year.

Background

At a large hospital pharmacy, disinfection of pharmaceutical packaging is a daily and essential task. The current process is manual and requires time, materials and continuous use of chemical disinfectants. It is also dependent on staff, training and instructions, and difficult to scale during periods of higher volume.

Based on an assessment of the pharmacy’s current process, physical conditions and working environment, we evaluated how a compact, automated UVC‑LED tunnel can create improvements in economics, quality and working conditions.

Economy | Operations & quality | Environment | Work environment | Conclusion

Economy: Significant savings from year one

By replacing manual wiping with an automated UVC‑LED tunnel, the pharmacy achieves a substantial financial benefit from the very first operating year.
The manual process requires many hours and large amounts of consumables, whereas the UVC‑LED solution significantly reduces the need for both.

 Manual disinfection process (annual)

  • Time consumption: 4,420 hours
  • Labour costs: DKK 1,547,000
  • Materials: DKK 834,400

Total annual cost: DKK 2,381,400

UVC‑LED tunnel (annual after installation)

  • Time consumption: 780 hours
  • Labour costs: DKK 273,000
  • Materials (LED replacement): DKK 10,000
  • Electricity: DKK 4,000 

Total annual cost: DKK 287,000 

Annual savings: DKK 2,094,400 

Installation costs (depending on specifications): DKK 1,200,000 kr.

This means the investment in a Natdis UVC‑LED tunnel pays for itself in less than a year – and will continue to deliver significant operational savings thereafter.

Operations and quality: Stable process and consistent disinfection

A UVC‑LED tunnel provides a more consistent and documentable disinfection process. Instead of relying on manual procedures and staff variation, the solution ensures uniform quality – every time.

In addition, automation frees up time, increases capacity and reduces training needs, while documentation is generated automatically.

Benefits:

  • Consistent disinfection quality – independent of staff and time a day
  • Automatic documentation of the entire process
  • Capacity of 30–40 containers per minute
  • Scalable solution for increased volume
  • Simpler logistics without ordering and storing large quantities of consumables.

From 15,000 to 820 kg CO₂e per year: A significant environmental improvement

The pharmacy’s data clearly shows that switching to UVC‑LED disinfection reduces the need for materials that require production, transport and disposal.

 

Material consumption, manual process

The manual process requires large quantities of wipes, ethanol and ProChlor every year.
The combined CO₂ footprint* of these materials is approx. 15,000 kg CO₂e per year.
With a UVC‑LED tunnel, this is significantly reduced, benefiting both the environment and operations.

Natdis UVC‑LED tunnel

CO₂e footprint* installation: 1,479.64 kg CO₂e 

  • Stainless steel: 1,230 kg CO₂e
  • LED panels**: 240 kg CO₂e
  • Control system: 9.64 CO₂e

Annual CO₂e footprint after installation: 820 kg CO₂e 

  • Electricity consumption: approx. 772 kg CO₂e per year.
  • Replacement of LEDs: 48 kg CO₂e per year (based on replacement of LED panels every 5 years).
 
By installing a UVC‑LED tunnel, the need for consumables is reduced to almost zero. While this does not guarantee that the solution is “environmentally neutral” or “climate‑friendly,” the figures demonstrate a real and documented reduction in the use of disposable materials and chemical agents.
 

*Estimated CO₂ footprint (Scope 3 – purchased goods).
Packaging, transport and waste are not included.

**There are no publicly available, standardised LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) data
that specifically assess the CO₂ footprint for UVC-LED as a product category.
UVC-LEDs are still niche products and manufacturers typically don’t publish complete environmental data.
However, industry data and independent LCA studies indicate that 2.5-5 kg CO₂ per chip is a realistic estimate.

Source overview

Improved working environment

Automation reduces repetitive movements and eliminates the handling of large volumes of chemicals. This leads to a better working environment, less physical strain and fewer chemical exposures.

With a UVC-LED tunnel, the pharmacy avoids:

  • Handling large quantities of chemicals.
  • Repetitive, monotonous motions.
  • The need for extraction systems at wiping stations

 

Conclusion: A future-proof solution

Implementing a Natdis UVC‑LED tunnel makes the pharmacy’s disinfection process simpler, cheaper and more gentle on both the environment and staff.

The combination of documented savings, improved working environment and higher operational stability and quality makes the solution attractive for both the healthcare sector and the pharmaceutical industry, where a robust and future‑proof disinfection process creates clear value.

Read more about our solutions for healthcare and pharmaceutical industry

Read more about UVC tunnels

Read more about UVC-LED

Contact us for a solution tailored to your needs.