Gate-to-gate approach in life cycle assessment of steel pipe products

Abstract

The iron and steel industry is of great strategic importance in Indonesia and is expected to continue its growth. One sector within this industry that is projected to see increased production is the steel pipe manufacturing sector. However, the significant emissions produced during steel pipe production have prompted many countries to seek ways to reduce these emissions. One such method is the implementation of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique, which assesses the environmental impact and serves as a valuable decision-making tool alongside other important methods. This approach aims to enhance sustainable production and consumption effectively and efficiently. In a specific case study, two types of steel pipe products were analyzed using LCA, focusing on various stages from material transportation to steel pipe production and delivery. The study assessed the environmental impact using the midpoint impact category, which includes factors like Global Warming Potential (GWP), Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP), Acidification Potential (AP), and Ecological Toxicity Potential (ETP) using the CML2001 characterization methods. The findings revealed that the production of SAWH pipes has a higher environmental impact in terms of GWP, AP, and POCP compared to HFW pipes, while HFW pipes had a greater ETP value. GWP was identified as the most significant potential impact for both products, with the pipeline production stage contributing the most to GWP. Overall, these results offer an initial understanding of the sustainability levels of steel pipe production, serving as a foundation for the development of pollution control measures to maintain the competitiveness of the industrial plant.