as consumers, we are increasingly keen to know the ecological footprint of the goods we use. We demand tighter environmental legislation, forcing industries to cut emissions, includ- ing CO2. but our need to conserve the planet’s limited resources conflicts with our demand to produce more metals and goods to consume.
The scarcity of natural resources provokes industries to find alternative resource-efficient ways to do more with less – and of course to comply with leg- islation. How can the metals and miner- als processing industry find the neces- sary balance? If you drill deep enough with the right tools, the answers lie in the process flow sheet, incorporating the complex systems that link indus- try and consumer. In this continuous search, Outotec is leading the way.
Drawing on real industry data
Life cycle analyses (LCa) have been con- ducted for years, but even the best LCa databases are often based on industry averages. Can these truly reflect the re- source-efficient processes that Outotec designs and delivers? Not necessarily.
at the end of 2011, Outotec and pioneering sustainability consulting company PE International agreed to combine Gabi software with Outotec’s HSC Sim software, which is used for all
process design at Outotec. The aim was to provide life cycle analysis that could take account of the industry’s complex processes and systems, extending right down to the end-consumer level.
Outotec experts are enthusiastic about the results; the beauty of the new system is the fact-based data that determines the ecological footprint of many of Outotec’s best available Technique (baT) processes – calibrated with real industrial data rather than the averages used in the past.
The new interface allows users to develop product and process modeling simulations and scenarios from an LCa perspective, including all environmen- tal impact information. Remarkably, this will facilitate finding and recog- nizing the baTs from several process alternatives.
Gabi’s country-specific data makes it possible to estimate the impact Outotec’s technologies will have in the location where a given plant is operated. In the near future, the new footprint calcula- tions will be used alongside this data to find solutions that comply with local legislation.
Fueling R&D and legislation
using the newly combined system, businesses are now able to plan their operations and make material and process decisions based on the sus-
Outotec’s sustainability experts Harald Huppe, Markus Reuter and Ilkka Kojo collaborate in develop- ing scientifically solid proof of the sustainability of our technologies. They also identify the com- pany’s actions related to sustainability, calculate the carbon footprint and the emissions avoided through the use of Outotec’s technology solutions as well as monitor the progress of Outotec’s actions to mitigate climate change.
tainability and life cycle information of current and future metal manufactur- ing scenarios and their environmental impacts.
This also represents valuable data for legislators. until now, emission levels have been merely political deci- sions, as realistic, well-simulated val- ues were not available.
Outotec can use the data to visualize the entire value chain – the big picture – starting from the mine site and end- ing at the final product: cathode copper, for example.
This flow sheet objectively illustrates which part of the process emissions come from: concentrator, smelter, elec- trolysis or acid plant. The data enables the process industry to carefully ex- amine the entire flow sheet and all the emissions, and act accordingly. at Outo- tec, the new analysis possibilities steer process design, but also R&D, enabling constant development towards the opti- mal arrangement of technologies.
The wider perspective may also reveal that a certain sub-process – perhaps one
not noted for its sustainability – has an important place in the technology portfo- lio, somehow helping to lower the overall emission level or footprint. Sometimes the small things play a vital part in the larger process.
The tool also indicates the viable economical and technological limits involved. Surprisingly, in terms of emis- sions, there are ultimate levels under which you simply should not go. This is not only for economical reasons, but due to the fact that drastically reduc- ing certain emissions may lead to an increase from some other source.
Connecting disciplines
Outotec now has a tool to provide proofs to regulators for evaluation. The newly combined software embod- ies what sustainability is ultimately all about: communication and dialogue. To benefit the environment, the solution of complex issues requires connecting disciplines, sharing ideas and making decisions based on what is technically and economically possible.
HSC Sim
Outotec’s HSC Chemistry software is designed for various process simulation and modeling applications. HSC Sim is a process simulator based on 24 cal- culation modules and 12 extensive da- tabases. The resultant process models provide initial data for process design, engineering and automation at Outotec. GaBi
PE International’s Gabi is a product sustainability solution with a power- ful engine to support life cycle assess- ment, costing, reporting and social responsibility.
Read more at www.outotec.com/hsc www.gabi-software.com