Winner of the Excellence in life cycle assessment Steelie Award 2022
Tata Steel developed a tool – PACI (Product Assessment Carbon Indicator) – to streamline the process of undertaking life cycle studies of products.
It can be used to analyse a number of different product and process parameters for the manufacture of final steel products considering the complete value chain, and to understand GHG emission hot spots and trade-offs in the steel product value chain, which can be used to inform new product developments and optimise the existing manufacturing routes.
By using this tool, Tata Steel have carried out a significant number of studies as a result of enquiries from the automotive sector.
This has included helping automotive OEMs to review all parts supplied by Tata Steel to identify the ‘hot spots’ in terms of their carbon footprint.
The tool has also been used to support a complete pre-engineering assessment of a concept body-in-white design on behalf of an automotive OEM to examine all aspects of materials selection, including material type (steel versus alternative materials), steel grade, gauge, and aspects of formability and part design.
A final example has been to assess the steel grades that Tata Steel produce and improve their understanding of the trade-off between benefits in use from improving motor efficiency versus embodied GHG emissions associated with different grades.
This tool has not only been used to support collaborative projects with customers and facilitate sharing and learning regarding opportunities for emissions reduction over the product life cycle, but also supports marketing through highlighting those attributes of the product, which helps the customer in achieving their own targets and goals for reductions in life cycle GHG emissions.
Additionally, the tool has been used to help make the case to regulators, for investment, and to demonstrate the role of steel in delivering a low-carbon society.