Life Cycle Assessment

GHG Management Steps

• GHG Management Steps….

– Step 1: Identify Emission Sources

– Step 2: Estimate the GHG Emission

– Step 3: Determine a baseline

– Step 4: Set Targets

– Step 5: Strategy for Achieving targets (Mitigation Action Plan)

– Step 6: Action Plan Implementation

What is a Life Cycle?

Why LCA?

• Efficiency Improvement in conjunction with Environment Improvement : Preferential

• Studies are taken up to improve Environment Performance

• Life Cycle Impact Assessment (ISO 14044),

• Greenhouse Gas Accounting (ISO 14064)

• Environmental Product Declaration, EPD (ISO 14025)

Simple Example

Notebook

on

Your Desk

Energy

Wood

Water

ProcessSupplement

Processes

Recycled

Notebook

on

Your Desk

Energy

Wood

Water

ProcessSupplement

ProcessesProcess

Challenge

• The example was relatively simple…

• In reality it is not…..

– FMCG Company? Which Product is Environment Friendly ?

– Steel Manufacturing Company? Which Steel is Environment Friendly?

– Auto Manufacturing Company?

Life Cycle Assessment

• “LCA” can be an effective tool for improvement in “Environment Performance”

• LCA: Hidden Opportunities

• Valuable Insights into : Process, Services, Logistics, Usage, Disposal, Recycling, etc.

What is Life Cycle Assessment

Method or Tool

Estimates environment impacts and health impacts

Product

Process Technology

Service

Over the entire life cycle

LCA Definition

• It’s “Environment Performance Evaluation” of Product throughout its life cycle

• Product Life Cycle + Environment Conscience

• LCA is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with product

Environment Assessment Tools

• LCA Belongs to family of Environment Assessment tools

– Environment Impact Assessment : Projects

– Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA)

– Material Flow Analysis

– Cost-Benefit Analysis

– Life Cycle Assessment : Products

LCA Umbrella

LCA Umbrella

Business Imperative

• How will you compare two products

• How will you ascertain a product’s

carbon footprint

• How will you differentiate between

technologies’ impact

• How will you identify where the

biggest opportunities for improvement

are

LCA: Benefits

Operation costs

Product Claims

Environmental innovation

Competitiveness

Corporate image and stakeholder communication

Product toxicity &

GHG emissions

LCA

Types of LCA

• Screenings

• Short internal LCA studies

• Extensive studies

• Continuous LCA operations (ELMIS)• ISO 14040:2006-Life Cycle Assessment –Principles and Framework

• ISO 14044:2006-Life Cycle Assessment –Requirements and Guidelines

• ISO/TS 14044:2002-Life Cycle Assessment –Documentation format

LCA: Methodology

Step 1: Goal and Scope Definition

• Product to be study and Purpose of Study

• Intended Users

• Two Critical dimension of LCA study

– System Boundary

– Functional Unit

Step 1: Goal and Scope Definition

• System Boundaries: Processes to include…

– Cradle to Gate

– Cradle to Grave

– Cradle to Cradle

– Gate to Grave

– Gate to Gate

• Boundaries in relation to Natural Systems and Technical Systems

Step 1: Goal and Scope Definition

• Functional unit: LCA relates environment Impact to a product or the function of Product System and is expressed in quantitative terms– depends on goal of study

– is a measure of the function of the studied system

– provides a reference to which the inputs and outputs can be related.

• Examples of Functional unit– Cement/Iron Steel: Tonnes of Product

– Paint System: Area (m2) of wall surface

– Detergent: 100 kgs of Washed Clothes

– Packaging : Tonnes or Litres of packaged product

Step 2: Inventory Analysis

• This LCA phase involving the compilation

and quantification of inputs and outputs

– Data collection for all activities in the product system followed

by documentation of collected data

– Calculation of environmental loads of the system in relation to

the functional unit

Process

Input:Resources

Energy

Output:Emissions to air / water / soil

waste

Step 2: Inventory Analysis

• Build a System Model (Flow Model)

– Environment Relevant Flows are only considered

• Data Collection (Flow Model)

– Input and Output Data

– Raw materials, energy carriers, products, solid waste, emissions to air and water

• Calculation of amount of resources and pollutant emissions

Step 2: Inventory Analysis

• Data can be available from

– Company’s own processes

– Suppliers

– Customers

– Waste management companies

– Published LCI data

– Publicly available reports or literature

– Technical Experts

Step 3: Impact Assessment

• This step aims to indicate the impacts of loads identified in the inventory

• LCIA turns inventory (Step 2) into more environmentally relevant information

Step 3: Impact Assessment

• Two Important dimensions of LCIA are

– Classification

• Sorting Inventory Parameters according to type of Environmental impact they contribute

– Characterisation

• Relative Contribution of the emissions and resource consumption to the impacts identified

Step 3: Impact AssessmentSO2NOxHCl

NOxNH3P

CO2CH4N2O

Acidification

Eutrophication

Global warming

etc.

Inventory

ClassificationCharacterization

One third of China is suffering from acid rain caused by rapid industrial growth, an official report quoted by the state media says.

Third of China 'hit by acid rain'

Thousands hospitalized by acid rain in

Iran’s most polluted city

ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS (Greece) TAJ MAHAL (India)

Sunlight+

NOx + VOC

Photochemical Smog

SMOKE + FOG = SMOG

Air borne particles&

Ground level ozoneDelhi Smog

Eco-Toxicity

Step 3: Impact Assessment

• Ready-made LCIA methods – Ecoindicator’99

– CML 92

– EPS 2000

• Use software for more precise results– Simapro

– GaBi

– Umberto

– OpenLCA

Step 4: Interpretation of the LCIA

Case Study

LCA of

Autmobiles : IC, Electric and Hybrid

Problem Formulation

• It’s unequivocal that Transport Sector Contributes significantly to air pollution and Global Warming

• IC Engines have been constantly evolved with more efficient emission standards

• New Technologies are upcoming

– Hybrid

– EV

Goal and Scope Definition

Goal:To simply the comparison of vehiclesaccording to environment impacts

Scope of the study:•Impacts from Whole Energy Supply Chain

Functional unit:One Kilometer of Travel Distance

System Flow

• Petroleum-Oil based Vehicles

• Electric Vehicles

Classification

Characterisation

• Global Warming

• Eutrophication

• Smog

• Acidification

Interpretation

Interpretation

To Summarise

• Several Characteristics of LCA is appealing to Industry

• It deals with environment issues in a highly structured manner

• LCA applications are manifold and it can facilitate easy and wise decision making

• Ultimately it accelerate already on-going environment activities of Companies and turn consumer society in Sustainable Direction

What is the benefit of doing an LCA study??

Supply Chain

Partners

Product Developer

Management & Operations

SustainabilityManager

MarketingManager

Environmental Improvement

SupportsDecisionMaking

IncreasesConsumer

Values

Drivesinnovation

Reduces all Associated

Costs

Life Cycle Assessment of a 2.5MW Wind Turbine

Case Study

LCA Methodology

Goal & Scope

Definition

Life CycleInventory

ImpactAssessment

Interpretation Applications

1. Goal & Scope Definition

• Goal Definition:

– Reason for carrying it out

– GHG assessment specific to GE product as response to customer

requests

– To whom the results are intended to be communicated

– GE’s customers

Product to be

studied

Purpose of the

study

2.5 MW Wind

Turbine

GHG assessment

specific to GE product

1. Goal & Scope Definition

System Boundary

• Define the system

boundaries to investigate

– in accordance to the

objectives of the study

• Cradle-to-Gate

• Cradle-to-Grave

• Gate-to-Gate

Functional Unit

• provides a reference to which the

inputs and outputs can be related

• enables comparison of two

systems

Cement/Iron/Steel:

Per ton of product

Paint System:

Area (m2) of wall surface

Detergent:

100 kg of washed clothes

GHG emissions over 20 year

turbine life

LCA Methodology

Goal & Scope

Definition

Life Cycle Inventory

ImpactAssessment

Interpretation Applications

2. Life Cycle Inventory

• Compilation and quantification of inputs and outputs

• Build a System Model (Flow Model)

• Data Collection (Flow Model)

– Input and Output Data

– Raw materials, energy carriers, products, solid waste, emissions to

air and water

• Calculation of amount of resources and pollutant emissions

Process

Input:Resources

Energy

Output:Emissions to air / water / soil

Product

Build a System Model (Flow Model)

• The GE 2.5 MW wind turbine has over 10,000 parts

– Collaborated with internal global sourcing and EHS experts to

identify 14 major components for supplier data collection

– Supplier Engagement

– Customers & Literature surveyed for End of Life data

– Internal GE assistance from: O&M personnel, transportation

logistics, and engineering for data relating to production,

distribution and use

2. Life Cycle Inventory

LCA Methodology

Goal & Scope

Definition

Life Cycle Inventory

ImpactAssessment

Interpretation Applications

LCA Results

Customer Focus

Which phase has the maximum GHG emissions...??

Greenhouse gas emissions across the life cycle of a Nokia phone

http://www.nokia.com/global/about-nokia/people-and-planet/sustainable-devices/sustainable-devices/

Case Study

LCA of Portland Cement Manufacturing

Process

Problem Formulation

• Concrete is second only to water as the most consumed substance on Earth (1 Ton/ Capita/ Year), (Lafarge Coppee SA. Globe and Mail, October 20, 2000)

• Cement Sector is

– Energy Intensive

– GHG Intensive

– High Resource footprint

Objective of LCA Study

Assess the life cycle of Portland cement manufacturing process to minimize the environmental impact

Goal and Scope Definition

Goal:To assess the potential environmental impact

due to cement manufacturing process

Scope of the study:• Raw material acquisition• Processing• Product manufacturing stages (mining to cement)

Functional unit:One Ton of Cement

Inventory Analysis - Lime Stone Mines

Inventory Analysis -Process Plant

Inventory Analysis – Particulate Matter

Analysis of Different Stacks

Inventory Analysis

• Used oil and grease (Lubricants) : 78.8 KL

• F.O. sludge from D.G. sets : 32.9 KL

• Used oil and grease: 0.036 Lit/ ton

• F.O. sludge: 0.015Lit/ ton

• Water consumption

– Process plant• Industrial: 7.96 lakh lit/

day

• Domestic: 4.18 lakh lit/day

• Total: 1296213 lit/day

– Mines• Industrial: 77,213 lit/day

• Domestic: 5000 lit/day

Interpretation

• Characterisation

– Resource Depletion, ADP

– Global warming, GWP

– Acidification, AP

– Photo-oxidant formation, POCP

– Eutrophication, EP

– Human toxicity, HTP

• Recommendations

– Increase Blend

– Use of AFR

– Use of Renewable Energy

– Use of Energy Efficiency Equipment

– Proper Maintenance