Guide to the Nickel Institute LCA pages and the nickel LCI
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
Using the different navigational aides on this page you can access all the key topics of these
pages.
It is recommended, however, that you review the following important messages that concern the state of the
nickel LCI and recent developments relevant to the use of the nickel LCI data.
Technical Support: If you are working on nickel-related LCAs, Nickel Institute may be able to assist in the
interpretation of the data. The Nickel Institute may also be able to assist with explanations of different
nickel process routes, end-uses of nickel, and recycling of nickel. For technical support click here.
Voluntary Registration: This is an open data base. There are, however, occasional significant revisions or
additions. If it is important to you to have the have to most accurate/recent version of the data base, please register so you can be contacted. It is
extremely unlikely that this would lead to more than one email notification per year.
29 November, 2003
Results of sensitivity studies: Changing patterns of energy and water use were used to test the
sensitivity of existing LCI values. A summary of the final
report, including measurements, is available.
31 October, 2003
Revision of baseline values for Ferro-nickel: Continuing work to improve data quality (see also
notes of 16 May and 20 March) have resulted in very significant changes to baseline data for ferro-nickel.
Input errors related to truck transport of diesel fuel have been corrected and LCI values recalculated. Of
greatest interest are reductions of total energy (-26%), greenhouse gas emissions (-39%), photochemical
oxidant formation (-74%), carbon monoxide air emissions (-54%), nitrogen oxide air emissions (-63%) and
particulate air emissions (-28%). These and other changes can be found in Table R1a (values per kilo of product) and Table R1b (values per kilo of contained nickel).
The data quality review is almost complete. A summary of that work and additional sensitivity studies (based
on water usage and energy usage) will be posted on this site in the near future.
17 June, 2003
Nomenclature: The language of these pages has been modified to draw attention to the fact
that the nickel data is more accurately considered a "life cycle inventory" or LCI. This reflects the fact
that the data on metallic nickel, ferro-nickel and nickel oxide ends at the manufacturing stage. The use
phase - including the end-of-life final fate of nickel-containing products - is not included. Thus the data
presented on these pages is "cradle-to-gate", not "cradle-to-grave" or "cradle-to-cradle". This LCI data is,
however, a necessary building block for any LCA of any product that contains nickel.
16 May, 2003
Ferro-nickel data: Baseline data for ferro-nickel is being reviewed. Results of sensitivity
studies (to be posted on this site in the near future) and the discovery of a significant input error
affecting metallic nickel and oxidic nickel (see note of 20 March, below) have brought the reliability of the
ferro-nickel data into question. The ferro-nickel data inputs will be reviewed as a matter of priority and
the results posted on these pages as soon as possible.
20 March, 2003
Metallic nickel and oxidic nickel data: Please be advised that ongoing work with the nickel LCA has
led to the discovery of a significant input error which resulted in artificially high apparent energy use and
greenhouse gase (GHG) emissions.
As a priority, all LCI values are being reviewed in light of this change in input data and the target date
for posting revised LCI values is 7 April, 2003. In the meantime, the incorrect LCI values have been removed
from this site. The text of the full LCA remains.
Until a complete review can be done, the following table shows the main consequences of the correction of the
input error.
Summary Table for Restated Baseline
|
LCA Results for producing 1kg of Nickel - bearing products |
Primary Energy Consumption (MJ) |
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (g eq. CO2) |
|
Class 1 nickel |
|
|
|
Baseline (2000) |
261 |
16756 |
|
Restated Baseline (2003) |
240 |
14795 |
|
Variation in baselines (2003 vs 2000) |
-8.40% |
-11.70% |
|
Nickel Oxide |
|
|
|
Baseline (2000) |
371 |
23418 |
|
Restated Baseline (2003) |
351 |
21637 |
|
Variation in baselines (2003 vs 2000) |
-5.30% |
-7.60% |
