Life cycle assessment of reciprocating engine component in Finland : a case study

Abstract

This paper presents the environmental impacts of reciprocating engine component (REC) made of cast iron and low-alloy steel in Finland using life cycle assessment (LCA). The study uses primary data provided by a machining shop in Finland covering cradle-to-gate with a functional unit of 1 tonne of REC. The assessment was carried out using CML-baseline, resulting in eleven impact categories emphasising global warming potential (GWP). The results show that the upstream process, including forging and foundry, to manufacture the material inputs contributes the highest among all impact categories, making up about 52–97% of the total impacts. For GWP, the total emission to manufacture 1 tonne REC is about 2926 kg CO2 eq. Sensitivity analysis indicates that material inputs of cast iron and low-alloy steel are the most critical parameters making process efficiency and technological advance prominent. This study highlights the importance of selecting suppliers, energy sources, and transportation modes.