Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TranSensus LCA (Towards a European-wide harmonised, transport specific LCA Approach)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
TranSensus LCA aims to pave the way towards a commonly accepted and applied single LCA approach for zero-emission road transport. TranSensus LCA will consider the battery value chain, the full vehicle (passenger and commercial vehicles, for the latter including fuel cells technologies) as well as relevant mobility scenarios over the full life cycle (i.e. cradle to cradle). Eight objectives have been defined, directly addressing the scope of the call and along which the TranSensus LCA coordination and support measures are oriented:
• Conceptualise and demonstrate a single, European-wide real-data LCA approach for ze-ro-emission road transport, ensuring consistency, robustness, transparency and confiden-tiality needs
• Harmonisation of methodologies, tools and datasets
• Elaborate an ontology and framework for a European-wide LCI database
• Conceptualise LCI data management and update along the life cycle and along the sup-ply chain
• Paving the way for LCA-based product and business development
• Consensus building across all stakeholders
• Defining and providing recommendations and guidelines for the fast uptake of a single LCA approach
• Identifying synergies and transfer potential towards non-road applications
The conceptualisation will build upon existing activities (national, European and interna-tional, see Table 1.1) accompanied by desktop research reviewing and analysing the SotA. Identification of needs and gaps as well as the actual development of the overall concept for a single transport-specific LCA will be obtained by subsequent, hierarchically organised ex-pert workshops with i) the core team of beneficiaries and associated partners, ii) the Adviso-ry Boards and iii) the wider stakeholder community. The feasibility of the proposed LCA approach will be evaluated on selected case studies, again first within the core team and af-ter-wards with members of the Advisory Boards. The experiences gained by these feasibility studies will be incorporated into the consensus-building process and made available to the wider stakeholder community.
The consensus-building process will be implemented through the Industry and Scientific Advisory Boards, the Consensus Liaison Group and by expert workshops and open consultations. The two Advisory Boards (AB) ensure a right balance between industry and academia while guaranteeing that industry along the transport value chain is the stakeholder group pushing the consensus building process. This will ensure that the TranSensus LCA approach will be implemented by industry later. The three boards will play essential roles in consensus building while relevant further stakeholders and experts will be invited to open workshops and to be addressed in the online consultations.
• Conceptualise and demonstrate a single, European-wide real-data LCA approach for ze-ro-emission road transport, ensuring consistency, robustness, transparency and confiden-tiality needs
• Harmonisation of methodologies, tools and datasets
• Elaborate an ontology and framework for a European-wide LCI database
• Conceptualise LCI data management and update along the life cycle and along the sup-ply chain
• Paving the way for LCA-based product and business development
• Consensus building across all stakeholders
• Defining and providing recommendations and guidelines for the fast uptake of a single LCA approach
• Identifying synergies and transfer potential towards non-road applications
The conceptualisation will build upon existing activities (national, European and interna-tional, see Table 1.1) accompanied by desktop research reviewing and analysing the SotA. Identification of needs and gaps as well as the actual development of the overall concept for a single transport-specific LCA will be obtained by subsequent, hierarchically organised ex-pert workshops with i) the core team of beneficiaries and associated partners, ii) the Adviso-ry Boards and iii) the wider stakeholder community. The feasibility of the proposed LCA approach will be evaluated on selected case studies, again first within the core team and af-ter-wards with members of the Advisory Boards. The experiences gained by these feasibility studies will be incorporated into the consensus-building process and made available to the wider stakeholder community.
The consensus-building process will be implemented through the Industry and Scientific Advisory Boards, the Consensus Liaison Group and by expert workshops and open consultations. The two Advisory Boards (AB) ensure a right balance between industry and academia while guaranteeing that industry along the transport value chain is the stakeholder group pushing the consensus building process. This will ensure that the TranSensus LCA approach will be implemented by industry later. The three boards will play essential roles in consensus building while relevant further stakeholders and experts will be invited to open workshops and to be addressed in the online consultations.
Within the 1st 18 months the objectives of TranSensus LCA were on the conceptualisation of the harmonised LCA approach, based on an in-depth analysis of the State-of-the-Art (SotA) and resulting needs and gaps.
To meet these objectives, a range of activities were conducted including a thorough desk review of scientific literature, industrial LCA reports, as well as relevant standards, guide-lines and tools. The information from the desk research was supplemented with additional information and understanding through a range of consultation activities with internal and external experts, through a range of meetings, workshops, surveys and interviews. The out-puts of the work package included two public deliverables, which are available from the TranSensus LCA project website. The first (D1.1) provides a review of current practices on life cycle approaches along the electromobility value chain; the second (D1.2) provides analysis of needs and gaps for the development of a harmonised LCA/S-LCA approach in the electro-mobility sector. Key findings from these studies have been taken forwards and fur-ther built upon in the conceptualisation of the LCA approach.
As part of the conceptualisation, a common ontology for a life cycle inventory database for the road transport sector and battery value chain has been delivered. A public deliverable detailed explanations about the intended domain and scope, the specific elements included, social LCA and economic factors and outlining a possible implementation and usage. An intermediate report delivers an initial description of the building blocks of a recommended approach to enable fair comparison of LCAs of ZEVs. The development of the building blocks relies on a scientific and voting approach within our project, according to ISO 14040 LCA framework. Upcoming work within the project will lead to the development of final harmonised approach as well as its feasibility and applicability.
Another objective of the 1st 18 months to initiate the consensus building process with rele-vant stakeholders. In this context, an Industry Advisory Board and a Scientific Advisory Board has been established as well as the relevant stakeholder groups from industry, authori-ties and standardisation bodies has been invited. In this first period the Advisory Boards were the main body to review the conceptualised building blocks of the TranSensus LCA approach (TLCA) and were included in a voting process to identify elements of the intended LCA ap-proach with the highest qualified majority. The feedback from the Advisory Boards were considered in the on-going conceptualisation of all buildings block of an LCA.
Major achievements up to now
• Delivery of 6 public reports to be published on the project’s homepage (www.lca4transport.eu) and 3 internal reports
• Initial description of the building blocks of a recommended approach
• Validation of a 1st set of building blocks from TranSensus LCA methodology
To meet these objectives, a range of activities were conducted including a thorough desk review of scientific literature, industrial LCA reports, as well as relevant standards, guide-lines and tools. The information from the desk research was supplemented with additional information and understanding through a range of consultation activities with internal and external experts, through a range of meetings, workshops, surveys and interviews. The out-puts of the work package included two public deliverables, which are available from the TranSensus LCA project website. The first (D1.1) provides a review of current practices on life cycle approaches along the electromobility value chain; the second (D1.2) provides analysis of needs and gaps for the development of a harmonised LCA/S-LCA approach in the electro-mobility sector. Key findings from these studies have been taken forwards and fur-ther built upon in the conceptualisation of the LCA approach.
As part of the conceptualisation, a common ontology for a life cycle inventory database for the road transport sector and battery value chain has been delivered. A public deliverable detailed explanations about the intended domain and scope, the specific elements included, social LCA and economic factors and outlining a possible implementation and usage. An intermediate report delivers an initial description of the building blocks of a recommended approach to enable fair comparison of LCAs of ZEVs. The development of the building blocks relies on a scientific and voting approach within our project, according to ISO 14040 LCA framework. Upcoming work within the project will lead to the development of final harmonised approach as well as its feasibility and applicability.
Another objective of the 1st 18 months to initiate the consensus building process with rele-vant stakeholders. In this context, an Industry Advisory Board and a Scientific Advisory Board has been established as well as the relevant stakeholder groups from industry, authori-ties and standardisation bodies has been invited. In this first period the Advisory Boards were the main body to review the conceptualised building blocks of the TranSensus LCA approach (TLCA) and were included in a voting process to identify elements of the intended LCA ap-proach with the highest qualified majority. The feedback from the Advisory Boards were considered in the on-going conceptualisation of all buildings block of an LCA.
Major achievements up to now
• Delivery of 6 public reports to be published on the project’s homepage (www.lca4transport.eu) and 3 internal reports
• Initial description of the building blocks of a recommended approach
• Validation of a 1st set of building blocks from TranSensus LCA methodology
Not applicable, yet. The final harmonised LCA framework with consensus by all stakeholder will be the soly result beyond the state of the arts.