info@flexby.eu
Flexby partners GreenDelta will be presenting a paper at the SETAC Europe 26th LCA Symposium entitled "Regionalized Impact Calculation in openLCA: Case Study from the Flexby Project Preliminary Life Cycle Assessment" which delves into the significance of regionalized impact assessment in the field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
The study emphasizes the importance of accurately assessing localized impacts, particularly for accurately evaluating impact categories such as water stress, that require specific regional considerations for precise evaluations. By utilizing regional characteristics through geoJSON files in openLCA software, the research showcases how tailoring calculations to specific locations can lead to more precise and reliable LCA outcomes. The preliminary study was conducted as part of the FLEXBY project to demonstrate the impact of regionalized assessment on water scarcity footprints, highlighting the need for advanced tools in environmental impact evaluations.
The research methodology involved comparing the water scarcity footprints of a heat and power co-generation process in Andalusia using both the aggregated Spanish Characterization Factor (CF) and the region-specific CF. The results indicated a 62.8% difference between the two scenarios, showcasing the enhanced accuracy achieved by incorporating region-specific data. This approach not only provides more accurate assessments but also streamlines data management by reducing the number of flows required to be linked to specific locations. The study underscores the value of regionalization in LCA, especially for projects like Flexby operating in regions with significant water scarcity, such as Spain and Portugal.
From a broader perspective, the paper highlights the wider implications of regionalized impact assessment in LCA, particularly for projects operating in regions with varying environmental conditions. By integrating geospatial data files and advanced tools like AWARE into LCA software, the study emphasizes the practical applicability and accessibility of regionalized impact assessment techniques.
The findings underscore the need for precision and reliability in environmental impact evaluations, advocating for the adoption of regionalized approaches to enhance the accuracy of LCA outcomes, especially in addressing localized impact categories like water stress. These methodologies will be applied in the Flexby project by GreenDelta to ensure that the impacts of the advanced biofuel production processes and technologies that are being developed are accurately assessed.