Cleveland Institution of Engineers
March 6th 2019
Louis Brimacombe
Chairman,IOM3 Sustainable Development Group
Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sheffield
Life Cycle Assessment as a basis for Sustainability Thinking
2
Sustainability ?
Circular economy ?
How to make things better, not worse?
( but for who, and in what respect ?)
Life Cycle Thinking ?
The high level challenges for a better society …..
UN Sustainable Development Goals – Launched September 2015
Tata Steel Slide
4
Materials will be a major contributor to the goal of 9 Bn people ‘living well’
Tata Steel Slide
5
How to make things better without making things worse…..
• (2010 forecast) The number of middle class consumers will increase from 1 to 4 Bn in next 20 years
• More recent estimates at 3 to 6 Bn in next 10 yrs
• WBCSD aspiration is for 9 bn people ‘living well’ by 2050, without compromise for future generations
Conventional pathways to 9bn people ‘living well’ will put a strain on Resource Consumption and Climate Change so will require innovation and excellence in materials developments, and a rethink about material and product life cycles.
………The Circular Economy …….
Successful Businesses will position themselves to address this opportunity/threat
Usage / Share
Refurbish / Remanufacture / Recondition
Closed Loop Recycling
Open Loop Recycling / Cascading
Minimal resource loss / waste
Minimal & responsible virgin resource inputs
Direct & indirect value creation
through process & product / service
efficiency
Life extension/ Service Support
Reuse / Redistribute /
Making the Economy More Circular with Value Optimisation
7
Life Cycle Thinking
…. Is increasingly important to consider the wider
consequences of strategies aimed at making
improvements, but it requires a methodological
approach ……
8
Life Cycle Assessment
Indicates the scale of environmental and resource
impacts associated with an activity or function
from the extraction of raw materials, through to
‘end use’ impacts.
LCA has a Role in Understanding the Benefits of a Circular Economy
Is it better to build more robust products (higher LCI), for extended service life ?
Is it better to use more energy intensive materials (higher LCI), to gain the fuel efficiency benefit from use phase light-weighting ?
Should we compromise functional efficiency to make products more recyclable ?
All recycling processes (and transport) have impacts, so what is the value of recycling ? What does recycling/reuse actually offset/avoid ?
Is it better to design for end-of-life recycling and/or to source material from recycled sources.
20
Tata Steel Slide 10Bessemer Masterclass 2014
How do we carry out an LCA ?
Tata Steel Slide 11Bessemer Masterclass 2014
The Process
Set out the Goals/ Define the System
Clearly describe system function/ set out what is ‘in scope’ and define boundary
Data Collection
New data using questionnaires and the rest access existing LCA datasets.
Modelling
Linking system datasets, make methodological choices. E.g. allocation for co-products.
Run the Model, analyse outputs, check and revise
Generate the Life Cycle Inventory of the system,
Impact Assessment
Take Inventory Data and group information to generate Impact datasets, such as ‘Global Warming Potential’
Interpretation
Understand sensitivity of results to data and methods. Check data, report conclusion.
Tata Steel Slide 12
Life Cycle Inventory : Lists mass inputs/outputs from Earth, and to the Earth
LCA begins with generating so called ‘Inventories’ or LCI’s
This LCI lists all inputs and outputs from earth associated with a defined system
The LCI list here is for ‘Global production of 1 kg steel product (at factory gate) via BF Route’
The highlights here included confirmation that 2.128 Kg of CO2 are emitted for 1 kg of steel product.
Major Articles* Units Average
11 sites
Inputs: (r) Coal (in ground) kg 0.643398982
(r) Dolomite (CaCO3.MgCO3, in ground) kg 0.01626926
(r) Iron (Fe) kg 1.748361164
(r) Limestone (CaCO3, in ground) kg 0.011457251
(r) Natural Gas (in ground) kg 0.030582934
(r) Oil (in ground) kg 0.047137374
(r) Zinc (Zn) kg 2.15E-09
Ferrous Scrap (net) kg 1.45E-01
Water Used (total) litre 17.92589455
Outputs: (a) Cadmium (Cd) g 6.33E-05
(a) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) g 2128.117309
(a) Carbon Monoxide (CO) g 33.00088145
(a) Dioxins (unspecified, as TEq) g 3.60E-08
(a) Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) g 0.044157425
(a) Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) g 0.068293481
(a) Lead (Pb) g 3.69E-03
(a) Methane (CH4) g 0.527704385
(a) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx as NO2) g 2.973955418
(a) Nitrous Oxide (N2O) g 0.112232902
(a) Particulates (Total) g 1.74E+00
(a) Sulphur Oxides (SOx as SO2) g 2.582408291
(w) Chromium (Total) g 9.36E-05
(w) COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) g 0.331073716
(w) Iron (Fe++, Fe3+) g 0.030940552
(w) Lead (Pb++, Pb4+) g -4.88E-04
(w) Nickel (Ni++, Ni3+) g 2.16E-04
(w) Nitrogenous Matter (unspecified, as N) g 0.015650293
Non-allocated byproducts (See Table Below) kg 5.22E-02
Waste (total) kg 1.564155491
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 13
LCA and Impact Assessment
Inventory
GWPCO2
CF4
CH4
N2O
NOx
APSO2
NOx
HCl
HF
H2S
PCOPCH4
Styrene
NMVOC
Classification
GWPCO2
CF4
CH4
N2O
NOx
APSO2
NOx
HCl
HF
H2S
PCOPCH4
Styrene
NMVOC
Classification
Airborne EmissionsCarbon Dioxide, CO2
Carbon Tetrafluoride, CF4
Methane, CH4
Nitrous Oxide, N2O
Other Nitrogen Oxides, NOx
Sulphur Dioxide, SO2
Hydrogen Chloride, HCl
Hydrogen Fluoride, HF
Hydrogen Sulphide, H2S
Styrene
Non-methane VOCs
…
Waterborne Emissions
…
Waste…
Characterisation
x 1
x 6300
x 21
x 310
x 7
x 1
x 0.7
x 0.88
x 1.6
x 1.88
x 0.466
x 0.007
x 0.766
Characterisation
x 1
x 6300
x 21
x 310
x 7
x 1
x 0.7
x 0.88
x 1.6
x 1.88
x 0.466
x 0.007
x 0.766
Acidification PotentialPhoto-chemical Oxidation Potential
Global Warming Potential
CategoryDefinition
Acidification PotentialAcidification PotentialPhoto-chemical Oxidation Potential
Photo-chemical Oxidation Potential
Global Warming Potential
CategoryDefinition
Tata Steel Slide 14Bessemer Masterclass 2014
14
2050 Scenarios for Global Steel Manufacture
2010
Low Carbon
Process routes:
ULCOS, higher
recycling and
operational
efficiency
….and focus on the product benefits
2050
Reduce,
Reuse/Remanufacture
1 BtCO2
Post Kyoto
aspiration
50-80%
reduction
Global Steel
CO2 emissions
2 BtCO2
4 BtCO2
BAU 2050
2.4 Bt Steel
1.2 Bt Steel
Tata Steel Slide 15
Life Cycle Assessment Profile for Steel Products
15
Use Phase Dominates
Vehicles / Buildings / Engineering
Raw material
extraction
Material
Production
Assembly &
Distribution
Use End of life
En
vir
on
me
nta
l Im
pa
ct
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9
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 18
Life Cycle Assessment of Railway Sleepers
• Wood – renewable resource
• Concrete – low energy material (per kg)
• Steel – recyclable
• Which is the more
sustainable of these
systems?
….and the importance of System
Definition in LCA
19
Sleeper Systems
Steel
Concrete
Timber
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 20
Model
Railway system
Installation End of lifeProduction
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 21
System Definition and Project Scope
• Product system:
• Steel/concrete/timber intensive rail systems
• BS113 rail
• Type 436 steel sleepers/F41 concrete sleepers
• Ballast
• Function: straight, mainline track for passenger/freight use
• Functional unit: 1 km of track over 45 year time period
• System boundary: cradle to grave
• Allocation procedure: system expansion
• Impact assessment: global warming, Waste
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 22
GGWWP
Sleeper
Material
Transport
(Sleepers)
Installation EOL Total
Steel 1926 25 122 -777 1296
Concrete 1015 83 563 -476 1216
Wood* 817 72 474 -397 966
GWP (t of CO2 equivalent)
• Did not include creosote production/treatment but data acquired later
showed high impacts of creosote, so eliminating wood as an option.
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 23
The Product System – Ballast
• Hi-spec quarried granite
Bessemer Masterclass 2014 24
Waste
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Steel Concrete Wood
Wa
ste
(t)
Total
Production
Transprt
Installation
EOL
Tata Steel Slide 25
Life Cycle Assessment Profile for Steel Products
25
Use Phase Dominates
Vehicles / Buildings / Engineering
Raw material
extraction
Material
Production
Assembly &
Distribution
Use End of life
En
vir
on
me
nta
l Im
pa
ct
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9
Realisation: To use LCA to demonstrate the Role of Steel
Steel
LCI’s
Case Studies
EPD’s
PEF’s
Labelling
Benchmarking
ResultsMarket ModelsData
Aluminium
CFRP
Concrete
Timber
….Materials
26
Tata Steel Slide 27
Carbon Emissions Reduction Policies - Automotive
• Today most vehicle carbon emissions occur during the “use” phase.
• Regulations & targets are used to reduce ‘tailpipe’ emissions.
• Car makers respond with Energy Efficiency, Electric Vehicles and light weighting.
• How will this effect the LCA ? 27
Tail–pipe regulations
Source: International Council on Clean Transportation, 2013
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Tata Steel Slide 28
Primary production of low-density automotive materials is GHG intensive
Mild Steel
Aluminium
Magnesium
Carbon FRP
‘Material’ GHG (in kg CO2e for the equivalent component vs. 100 kg mild steel)
AHSSteel
1575
880
811
173
230
Mid-Range
kgCO2e per kg
Potential Weight
Saving (%)
2.3 -
2.3 25
12.1 33
31.5 50
22.0 60
kg CO2e
Source: WorldAutoSteel
Automotive light weighting and material impacts
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Tata Steel Slide 29
Vehicle emissions and Life Cycle Assessment
At what point is the carbon impact of producing materials compensated for by use phase savings due to light-weighting.
material production
& recycling
vehicle use
Carbon Footprint
Distance travelledTotal distance car travels
during life – e.g.150,000 km
Crossover distance
Steel (AHSS)Al
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13
Tata Steel Slide 30Bessemer Masterclass 2014
Construction Alternatives : Glulam (Glued laminated timber) vs Steel Frame
Produced by laminating smaller pieces of timber into a large structural member by bonding with adhesives.
Functionally equivalent to steel beams and columns
92 kg/m 51 kg/m
16m span
130 kg/m 92 kg/m
18m span
Tata Steel Slide 31Bessemer Masterclass 2014
Understanding Alternatives : Methodology and EOL scenarios
Variation in Embodied CO2e for Different End-of-Life Options
Fo
ssil O
nly
Fo
ssil +
Bio
ma
ss
80
% r
eu
se
Fo
ssil O
nly
Fo
ssil +
Bio
ma
ss
Fo
ssil O
nly
Fo
ssil +
Bio
ma
ss
Fo
ssil O
nly
Fo
ssil +
Bio
ma
ss
Fo
ssil O
nly
Fo
ssil
+ B
iom
ass
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Steel
Frame
Timber Frame Steel
Frame
With Energy
Recovery
Without Energy
Recovery
With methane
recovery
Without methane
recovery
Current Practice Reuse Timber Frame 100% Incineration Timber Frame 100% Landfill
No
rma
lis
ed
tC
O2e
Steel
now
Timber now
(2 Methods)Steel best
practice
Timber alternative end-of-life options
best worst
Tata Steel Slide 33Bessemer Masterclass 2014
Defining Sustainability ?
Classic definition (Brundtland):
“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
UK Government definition:
“Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.”
British Standard 8900 series :
An enduring, balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress
34
3
4
Safety / Comfort /
Aesthetics/Functionality
Viability / Affordability / LCC/ WLC
LCA/Carbon footprint
Resources use
Along with environmental considerations, the social and economic performance of
a material is crucial for making sustainable decisions. A life cycle approach helps to
identify and develop holistic and robust solutions.
Material choice
Now described in
BS8905 Framework
Standard,
‘Sustainable Use of
Materials’
Making the Sustainable Choice: Triple Bottom Line Life Cycle Thinking
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Social Value : Across the Life Cycle
Supplier ResponsibilitySocial Value in Supply Chain
Product PerformanceSocial Value to the User
Length of Service/Legacy Future Potential Value
Communities Welfare
Training
+ve H&S
Responsible Sourcing Stds
Education welfare
GDP Contribution
Slave Labour
Child Labour
Toxicology
-ve H&S
+ve Visual Appeal
Tactility
Time Efficiency
Newness
Reliability
% availability
Affordability
Safe Operation
Noise
Unsafe
Inconvenient
-ve Visual Appeal
Incineration
Quality of life
Enabling services
Recycling (closed loop)
Recycling (open loop)
Repairable
Retained Value
Reusable
Durability
Toxicology
Oceanic Impact
Landfill
Conflict Minerals
+ve Good
-ve Poor
Job creation
Comfort Level
Space
Deal Breakers
ResponsibleSourcing schemes
LCA deficits
LCA benefits
Tata Steel Slide 36
36
Design for Sustainability
Provides highest social value across the product
life cycle for the longest duration.
Although difficult to quantify, social value is
perhaps the most important element of truly
sustainable design
Needs to be balanced wrt Affordability/Profitability
Tata Steel Slide
2018 IPCC Report (October 8th,) has recommend
mechanisms to achieve 1.5 0c including:
Accelerating current CO2 reduction strategies by
Huge increases in efforts towards:
Renewables & Low C Energy Sources (and Storage)
Energy (and Materials) Efficiency
Carbon Capture Storage/Usage and Sequestration
Atmospheric carbon removal ?
Support for financial measures/incentives
….and more
Busines
s as
usualPledges
Goal
+3.5°C
+2°C
90
60
30
0
2000 2030 2100
120
150
+4.5°C
Gig
ato
ns
of C
O2
eq
uiv
ale
nt p
er y
ea
r
Business as Usual, Paris Pledges, and 2°C Path
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/11/23/world/car
bon-pledges.html?_r=1
Note: 2°C = 3.6°F; 3.5°C = 6.3°F; 2 4.5°C = 8.1°F.
Life Cycle Assessment – Trends and Potential effect on materials impact
41
With 'Zero Use Phase' , the impacts will shift to
make material impacts more important
Raw material
extraction
Material
Production
Assembly &
Distribution
Use End of life
En
vir
on
men
tal Im
pact
‘Existing policies, which focus on energy efficiency, need to be widened to include
resources use and environmental impacts across the life-cycle of buildings’
Source: EU2020 strategy, Sustainable Buildings (consultation Oct 2013)
Tata Steel Slide
A Vision for Steel : 2050
Reuse warehouse on site
Renewables on site/and LC via grid
Flexed Scrap/Primary Manufacture
Low carbon manufacturing(CCS/U)
Eliminate Yield losses in SC
Alloy Processing/Management
Additive manufacturing/3DP
Near final shape products
Closer Customer/SC collaborations
(NS products /Recovery/Reuse)
Leasing/Lifetime Product tracking
(Internet of things)
Stronger/lighter products ( HSS)
Functional/Durable Coatings
Re
manu
factu
rin
g
& R
e-u
se
Ware
house
STEEL
PLANT
2050
OEMs Construction CUSTOMERS
Commodities
Steel
Additiv
e
Ma
nufa
ctu
ring
Powder
products
Powders
Allo
y
Pro
ce
ssin
g
Prim
ary
Pro
duction
(HIs
arn
a,
ULC
OS
)
EA
F (
Scra
p
Rem
eltin
g)
Scrap/quality
sorting returnsRenting,
leasing,
selling
Ore
Scrap
Scrap & Alloy
management Mn, Bo, V
OEMs
partners in
supply chain
Downstream
Processing
(rolling, coating,
shaping, 3D
printing)
Secondary
products,
same function
Near shape products
Shapes nearer
customer needs,
customisation
End of Life(value optimisation by separation to maintain residual value)
PhotoVoltaics
Low carbon
ENERGY
Added
value by-
products
Information management
Product tracking & ownership
Internet of Things
Use phase
CCS
Tata Steel Slide 43Worldsteel PSCO Sept 2015Meeting the UN SDGs will require a life cycle approach
to attain high levels of Social Value but with affordable
and less resource intensive materials/energy solutions
Thank you