Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Life cycle assessment of the district heat distribution system

Part 1: pipe production

  • Published:
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Goal, Scope and Background

District heating, the utilization of centrally produced heat for space heating and domestic hot water generation, has the potential to contribute to the eco-efficient use of energy resources in the parts of the world where space heating is needed. In literature, environmental studies on district heating mainly consider the emissions from heat generation; the environmental impact from the distribution system is seldom discussed. This paper presents a life cycle assessment of the production of district heating pipes, based on a cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory commissioned by the Swedish District Heating Association. No external review has been performed but a reference group of district heating experts familiar with the practice was involved in the choice of cases as well as in reviewing parts of the study.

Methods

Manufacturing of district heating pipes at Powerpipe Systems AB, Göteborg, Sweden, was studied. Prefabricated polyurethane insulated district heating pipes were considered, with a steel tube and a protective casing made of high-density polyethylene. Production of pipes during the time period 1999–2000 was investigated. The functional unit used in the study is production of one district heating pipe unit. The studied pipes are: a twin pipe of the dimension DN25 (12m long) and single pipes of the dimensions DN25 (12m), DN100 (12m) and DN500 (16m).

Results and Discussion

A short description of the inventory, some inventory results and a life cycle impact assessment are presented. Characterizations according to GWP, AP, POCP and resource depletion are given as well as two weightings: EcoIndicator99 and Ecoscarcity. If the life cycle is grouped into ‘Materials production’, ‘Transports’, ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Waste management’, the ‘Materials production’ gives rise to a dominating part of the environmental impact.

Recommendation and Perspective

To use materials in the pipes as efficiently as possible is the most important feature in order to reduce the environmental impact from production of district heating pipes. Twin pipes can be a more material efficient solution than single pipes. It is important to make sure that environmental improvements from changes in the pipe production phase are not offset by other effects in the total life cycle of the district heating pipe.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Euroheat & Power Unichal, The International Association for District Heating, District Cooling and Combined Heat and Power, Brussels, Belgium, http://www.euroheat.org/eurdh.htm (2003-02-26)

  2. Euroheat and Power(2001): District Heat in Europe, Country by country — 2001 survey. Belgium

    Google Scholar 

  3. Commission of the European Communities (2002): Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market. July 22, COM(2002) 415 final, 2002/0185 (COD), Brussels, Belgium

  4. Nilsson G (1998): Space heating systems — the fourth part of the district heating system. Euroheat and Power — Fernwärme International 1998: 12, 4446

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fröling M, Holmgren C (2002): Environmental impacts from production of district heating pipes (in Swedish). Report FoU 2002:82, Swedish District Heating Association, Stockholm, Sweden

  6. Fröling M (2002): Environmental and thermal performance of district heating pipes. Doctoral Thesis, Chemical Environmental Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  7. LCAiT 4.0. Commercial software from CIT Ekologik, Chalmers Industriteknik, Göteborg, Sweden

  8. Bousted I (1997): Eco-profiles of the European plastics industry, Report 9: Polyurethane precursors (TDI, MDI, polyols). Report, second edition, ISOPA, Brussels, Belgium

  9. Bousted I (1993): Eco-profiles of the European plastic industry, Report 3: Polyethylene and polypropylene. Report, European Centre for Plastics in the Environment (PWMI), Brussels, Belgium,

    Google Scholar 

  10. IISI (1999): Life cycle inventory data for steel products — Product: Hot rolled coil, BF route, European average, 1 kg. International Iron and Steel Institute, Brussels, Belgium

    Google Scholar 

  11. Wirsbo Stålrör AB (2000): Environmental report 2000 for Wirsbo Stålrör AB (in Swedish). Virsbo, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  12. Erkki Huhdankoski (2001): Personal communication, Oulainen Works, Rautaruukki Oyj Metform, Oulainen, Finland

    Google Scholar 

  13. Boustead I (1999): Ecoprofiles of plastics and related intermediates. Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Europe (APME), Brussels, Belgium. Data summaries regarding ‘Pentane’ and ‘Polypropylene injection moulding’ can be downloaded from APMES homepage: http://www.apme.org/

    Google Scholar 

  14. Frischknecht R, Hofstetter P, Knoepel I, Meénard M, Dones R, Zollinger E (1994): Eco-profile for energy systems (in German). Bundesamt für Energiewirtschaft, Zürich, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  15. Nätverket för Transport och Miljö (The Network for Transports and the Environment), http://www.ntm.a-se

  16. Alena Nordqvist (2001): Personal communication, ABB Corporate Research, Västerås, Sweden

  17. Powerpipe Systems AB (2000): Annual environmental report 2000 for Powerpipe Systems AB (in Swedish). Hisings Kärra, Sweden

  18. Göran Johansson and Dan Söderqvist (2001): Personal communication, Powerpipe Systems AB, Hisings Kärra, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  19. Karlson K (1990): Air emissions from working vehicles — Action plan (in Swedish). Report 3756, The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  20. Brännström-Norberg B-M, Dethlefsen U, Johansson R, Setterwall C, Tunbrant S (1996): Life-Cycle Assessment for Vattenfall’s electricity generation. Summary report. Vattenfall AB, Stockholm, Sweden

    Google Scholar 

  21. Environmental report for 2000 (in Swedish). Report MU 01:006, Renova AB, Göteborg, Sweden

  22. Hauschild M, Wentzel H (1998): Environmental assessment of products, Vol. 2: Scientific background. Chapman&Hall, London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  23. Lindfors L-G, Christiansen K, Hoffman L, Virtanen Y, Juntilla V, Hanssen O-J, Rönning A, Ekvall T, Finnveden G (1995): Nordic guidelines on life-cycle assessment. Nord 1995:20, Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Google Scholar 

  24. Goedkoop M, Spriensma R (2000): The Eco-Indicator 99 — A damage oriented method for Life Cycle Impact Assessment — Methodology report. Second edition, Product Ecology Consultants (PRé), Amersfoort, Netherlands, available at: http://www.pre.ru/eco-indicator99/ei99-reports.htm

  25. Baumann H, Rydberg T (1994): Life Cycle Assessment: A comparison of three methods for impact analysis and valuation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2, 13–20, some values were updated by CIT Ekologik, Göteborg, Sweden, in 1998

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Steen B (1999): A systematic approach to environmental priority strategies in product development (EPS). Version 2000 — General system characteristics. CPM report 1999:4, Centre for Environmental Assessment of Products and Material Systems, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, available at: http://www.cpm.chalmers.se/ cpm/publications/F.PS2000.pdf

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Environmental Science, Sweden

    Morgan Fröling, Camilla Holmgren & Magdalena Svanström

Authors
  1. Morgan Fröling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Camilla Holmgren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Magdalena Svanström
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Magdalena Svanström.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fröling, M., Holmgren, C. & Svanström, M. Life cycle assessment of the district heat distribution system. Int J LCA 9, 130–136 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978572

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02978572

Keywords

Search

Navigation