LCA Examples
© Colin Fitzpatrick
Ericsson LCA
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Paper “Life Cycle Assessment of 3G Wireless
Telecommunication Systems at Ericsson”
available on the website.
Summary of the study “Life Cycle Assessment
of a Third Generation (3G) System at Ericsson”
available on the website.
Ericsson LCA
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Goal
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Develop a flexible LCA model with the capacity of
producing reliable environmental information for
Ericsson’s present and future needs
Develop a user-friendly database with all the LCA
data collected during this and previous Ericsson
LCA studies
Determine and describe the environmental impact
from Ericsson’s 3G wireless telecommunication
systems
Ericsson LCA
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Scope
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System consists of 3G terminals, radio network,
control equipment & a core network with switches,
routers, servers and workstations
Transmission equipment like feeders and cables &
site materials like antennas, climate control
equipment and site housing
Ericsson LCA
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Functional Unit
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One year of operation of the 3G pilot system is
studied
For comparisons another functional unit, per
subscriber and information flow and year is needed.
Ericsson LCA
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Following Indicators studied
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Climate change
Resource depletion
Acidification
Photochemical ozone generation
Aquatic eutrophication
Terrestrial eutrophication
Ozone depletion
Land use
Human toxicity
Ecosystem toxicity
Ericsson LCA
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Focuses on the climate change indicator as it is the
most widely accepted environmental indicator.
Based on the global warming potential (GWP) and is
measured in CO2 equivalents
Two external independent scientists reviewed the LCA
to ensure carried out to ISO14040 series specification.
Although data is not available to the public, the data
used is valid and interpretations are accurate
Ericsson LCA
Ericsson LCA
Ericsson LCA
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What impact does my 3G subscription have?
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+0.06% raw material resources depletion
+0.7% energy resources depletion & climate change
+0.004% use of land resources
Ericsson LCA
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Uncertainty & Sensitivity Analysis
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Network planning (how many subscribers)
Energy efficient use of products
Product lifetime
Electricity source
Sensitivity of environment
Recycling share at end of life treatment
Dimensioning of site materials
Uncertainties in LCA data for virgin metal production, IC
manufacture, pcb manufacturing, hazardous waste treatment
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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Paper available on website
EPROM IC chosen for study
Gate to Gate study
Functional Output is a complete EPROM
device
Carried out according to relevant ISO
standards
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
Raw Wafer
Front End
Transport
Back End
Device
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
Raw
Wafer
Oxidation
Masking
Doping
Etching
Dielectric
Deposition
Metallisation
Electrical Test
Passivation
Processed Wafer
Front End
Processed
Wafer
Production
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
Processed
Wafer
Cut
Packaging
Electrolytic
Tuning
Welding
Base
Bonding
Back End
Device
Realisation
Surface
Clipping
Insert on
Tube
Device
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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Transport
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Packaging for transport
Truck to airport (40km)
Plane from Milan to Singapore (10,000km)
Truck to site (10km)
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
Material
Quantity
DI Water
29 litres
Oxygen
140 mg
Nitrogen
122 g
Hydrogen
2.9 mg
Ceramic
7g
PVC
0.4 g
HDPE
0.1 g
Lead
0.03 mg
Copper
1.2 mg
Tin
0.15 g
Boron
Arsenic
2.9 mg
6.9 mg
Selected total
inventory data for
one single EPROM
device
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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De-Ionised Water
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Plays a large part in semiconductor manufacture
Only ultra pure and DI water can be used
Special treatments involve energy and chemical
consumption
Introducing a water reclaim step can minimise the
environmental impact of the IC’s
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
Phase
Quantity (MJ)
Front End
2.39
Transport
2 x 10 -6
Back End
Use
10.11
58.35
Total
70.85
Gross energy in
different life cycle
phases of one single
device
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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Energy Use Phase
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Specific device requires 0.36 Watts
Life estimated at 10 years
Equipment obsolescence estimated less than this (5
years)
Real operating time approx 33% of equipment life
1MJ of electrical energy requires 3MJ of gross
energy
Use phase turns out to be 54 MJ
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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Chip production energy density
Material
Energy Density [MJ/kg]
Si (metallurgical)
33
Si (cz monocrystal)
560
Si (IC)
35000
Cu (metallurgical)
20
Al (metallurgical)
166
Paper
48
LCA of an Integrated Circuit
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Conclusions
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Large amount of material & process data required
Only few data available, used several different
databases and other LCA studies
Use of same steps in other IC’s will make other LCA
studies easier
Impacts of IC’s
• extremely low entropy, highly
organised forms of matter made
from materials of high entropy,
and lowly organised forms of
matter
Impacts of PC’s
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“The total energy and fossil fuels used in producing a desktop
computer with 17-in. CRT monitor are estimated at 6400
megajoules (MJ) and 260kg, respectively”
– Eric Williams, Environmental Science & Technology, 2004, 38,
6166-6174
Based on Irish figures this is equivalent to 1,109 kg CO2
Other studies give figures between 27,700 kg and 2,600,000 kg of
water consumed
Emphasis must move to recycling this embodied energy by reuse
and by refurbishment
Impacts of PC’s
400
371.70
350
300
250
Running
Cost/€uro
200
Carbon
Emissions/kg
150
100
75.83
71.39
52.62
50
10.73
14.56
0
Always On
Switched Off Ouside Office Power Saving Outside Office
Hours
Hours
Impacts of PC’s
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Offset your PC’s Environmental Impacts by
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Telecommuting
On-Line Banking
On-Line DVD Rental
On-Line Shopping
On-Line Newspapers
Offsetting These Impacts
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Keep your PC for 4 years;
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User Profile “Power Saving Outside Office Hours”
(1240 hours use);
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71.39 kg/CO2 p.a.
Drive a VW Golf 1.4L Petrol;
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277.25 kg/CO2 p.a.
163 g CO2/km (source www.simi.ie)
Must save yourself 2,134 km (1,326 miles) driving p.a.
(approx 25 miles per week)