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ReCiPe 2007: An improved method to calculate effects of resource depletion on midpoint and endpoint level.
An De Schryver,* PRé Consultants
Mark Goedkoop, PRé Consultants
Arjen Meijer, Delft University of TechnologyWithin the framework of the ReCiPe Project (a cooperation between Radboud University of Nijmegen, Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden-CML and PRé Consultants), a new method to calculate the effects of resource depletion is developed (1). The goal of this project is to link midpoints (CML(4)) and endpoints (Eco-indicator 99(3)), and to update the underlying methods and data used in these methodologies. For the impact category resource depletion, water depletion, mineral depletion and fossil depletion is considered. However as only mineral depletion and fossil depletion is modelled till endpoint level, only the effects of non-renewable resource depletion will be further discussed.
To calculate the impact of mineral depletion, the future marginal consequences of mineral extraction is modelled, based on the decrease of ore grade. The model is built upon a large dataset covering 500 mines, and focuses on the depletion of minerals (also called deposit), instead of individual metals. In this way more justice to the actual geological distribution of metals is done, and many more metals are covered, especially those that are always mined as co product. The method uses ‘the slope (relation grade-yield) divided by availability’ as midpoint indicator and ‘surplus costs’ as endpoint indicator and. The proposed method is a further development of the surplus energy concept proposed by Müller-Wenk (2), which is used in Eco-indicator 99.
For fossil fuel depletion, there is no decrease in grade to express the quality of oil and gas resources. When these types of resources become scarce, the production costs and production energy requirements will rise. The increase in costs needed for extraction, determines the switch from conventional to unconventional resources. As midpoint indicator the energy content of the fuel is used, while the endpoint indicator is based on the ‘surplus costs’ per kg of oil extracted.
The resulting method is transparent and novel to its kind because of the inclusion of both midpoint and endpoint characterisation factors based on the same environmental mechanism and the used dataset of 500 mines for mineral depletion. Midpoint and endpoint characterisation factors are produced for 20 different metals and 35 fossil fuels.
(1) De Schryver and Goedkoop (2008). Mineral Resource. Chapter 12 in: Goedkoop, M., Heijungs, R., Huijbregts, M.A.J., De Schryver, A., Struijs, J., Van Zelm, R. (2008). ReCiPe 2008 A life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Report I: Characterisation factors, first edition. In press.
(2) M�ller-Wenk, R. (1998) Depletion of Abiotic Resources Weighted on the Base of "Virtual" Impacts of Lower Grade Deposits in Future. IW� Diskussionsbeitrag Nr. 57, Universit�t St. Gallen, Switzerland, ISBN 3-906502-57-0.
(3) Goedkoop, M. and Spriensma, R. (1999). The Eco-indicator 99: A damage oriented method for Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodology. Ministry of VROM, The Hague, The Netherlands.
(4) Guin�e, J.B. (Ed.), Gorr�e, M., Heijungs, R., Huppes, G., Kleijn, R., de Koning, A., Van Oers, L., Wegener Sleeswijk, A., Suh, S.,. Udo de Haes, H.A, De Bruijn, J.A., Van Duin R., Huijbregts, M.A.J. (2002). Handbook on Life Cycle Assessment: Operational Guide to the ISO Standards. Series:Eco-efficiency in industry and science. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
* corresponding author: schryver@pre.nl