Extending LCA method to assess and compare water use of ... · Anne Rödl, Water Use in LCA 16 1000...

Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics

CASTLE Conference -Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy-

Barcelona, 21 October 2015

Extending LCA method to assess and compare water use of biological and technical production systems

Anne Rödl

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Anne Rödl, Water Use in LCA 2

Outline

1. Background

2. Challenges for the assessment

3. Presentation of the new method

4. Conclusion




• solid biofuels worldwide major source of renewable energy (IEA 2015)

• promotion of renewable energies within the EU (Directive 2009/28/EG)

• need to measure and to compare environmental impacts of bio based products and their fossil based alternatives

• special interest in water use: because strong interrelation between water and energy use

Background




Why assessing bio based products?

• increasing cultivation of biomass crops because of political decisions

• potential change of natural or already cultivated landscapes

• concerns about the potential environmental impacts

causes for environmental impacts:

biological production systems technical production systems

land use/ land use change land use/ land use change

disturbance of natural nutrient cycles use of raw materials

deterioration of soil (erosion, contamination) use of energy

deterioration of water release of emissions

production of waste production of waste




Biological vs. technical

What are biological production processes?

• resources produced by living organisms

• mostly renewable resources

• example: agriculture, forestry, cultivation and use of microorganisms

What are technical production processes?

• industries which are not working with bio based materials

• mostly extraction of non-renewable raw materials and their industrial processing

• example: mining, processing industry




• biomass cultivation is often rain water fed

• industrial manufacturing processes need an active water input from humans

Differences in terms of water use

biological production technical productiongreen water input blue water inputnatural water cycle anthropogenic water cycle




Natural and anthropogenic water cycle

Red lines: anthropogenic water cycle

Blue lines:natural water cycle




Definition of water colours

Blue water: groundwater, surface water; can be easily extracted by humans

Green water: soil water, can only be extracted by vegetation

Gray water: polluted water

White water: water vapour




• different water types used with different intensities

• regional differences in water availability and quality

• impacts on the input and output side of the analyzed system

Difficulties in assessing water use




Methodological deficiencies

• no agreed methodology to assess water use in LCA

• some attempts for LCA or Water Footprint studies

• e.g. Maes et al. (2009); Boulay et al. (2011); Ridoutt & Pfister (2010 & 2013), Berger (2014)

• looking often at land use change effects on the water regime

• only few assess qualitative aspects

• green water use mostly not considered

• principles, requirements and guidelines for water footprinting set in ISO14046 since 2014




need to find a common unit

initial thoughts:

• human point of view

• rating is influenced by human value system

• taking into consideration the human benefit of a natural good

result: using blue water as the common unit

Blue water equivalents [ble]




Conversion of water colours

• pathways of transition from one water

type to the other (green ↔ blue )

it should be possible to find a concept

for translating the amount of one water

type into another




Part of the total evapotranspiration which is evaporated from continents returns to continents

with precipitation (after Van der Ent et al. 2010).

Concept green into blue

Green Water – Recycling Factor fGWR

Continent fGWR [in %]

Europe 66

North Amerika 42

South Amerika 59

Africa 62

Asia 58

Australia/Pacific 29

average 57




Calculation of green water consumption

Green water consumption [ble]= evaporatedgreenwater ∙ 1 − f

• result: green water consumption expressed in blue water equivalents

• evaporated green water:• plant transpiration

• evaporation from interception

• less the amount of water exported with the product




Overview new method

Water inputColour I

Water inputColour II

Life cycle inventory subtract Water output with same

quality (I and II)

Calculating the consumed amount of water = blue water equivalentsincl. conversion of water types (colours)

Life cycle impact assessment

Calculation of characterization factors reflecting: • the regional water availability• water quality

climate anthropogenicwater management

soil waterdeficit

quality changes due to use

Water consumption (blue water equivalents)*

Impact category indicator for “water use”




1000 m³ withdrawal from: dry area

high anthropogenic pressure on natural resources

heavy pollution of the used water

퐼푛푑 = 퐶 ∙ 퐼푑푥 − 퐼푑푥 − 퐼푑푥 + 푟푒푄 ∙ 퐼푑푥

4440푏푙푒 = 1000 ∙ 1,5 + 0,5 + 1 + 900 ∙ 1,6

IndWU > inventory result (withdrawal)

critical water consumption

Impact indicator values




1000 m³ withdrawal from: humid area

low anthropogenic pressure on natural resources

improvement of water quality

퐼푛푑 = 퐶 ∙ 퐼푑푥 − 퐼푑푥 − 퐼푑푥 + 푟푒푄 ∙ 퐼푑푥

20푏푙푒 = 1000 ∙ 0,7− 0,5− 0 + 900 ∙ (−0,2)

IndWU < inventory result (withdrawal)

acceptable water consumption

Impact indicator values




Conclusions

easy application

adaptable to the needs and possibilities of the user

use within LCA or as single indicator

no consideration of impact endpoints

meets the requirements of the standard for Water Footprints ISO14046



Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics

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Extending LCA method to assess and compare water use of ... · Anne Rödl, Water Use in LCA 16 1000...

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