ECO DESIGN PRINCIPLES: how are they applicable to LIFE HI4S technology?

LIFE HI4S partners would like to introduce our readers to the Eco-design principles and how they will fit in our developments.

First of all, what is Eco-design? Eco-design enables the incorporation of environmental considerations into product development processes, by balancing technological and environmental criteria.

In the framework of LIFE HI4S project eco-design principles will be introduced to evaluate and improve the environmental performance of the LIFE HI4S system’s main components during the design and development of the pilot plant.

Eco-design principles and LCA methodology are applied by LIFE HI4S partner Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) to benchmark the environmental impacts of different materials fulfilling the same functional and technical needs. The main goal is to minimize negative environmental impacts without altering the performance. For this purpose, the study will be carried out with the assumption that all the analyzed materials are equivalent from a technical and functional point of view, with the aim to focus on environmental aspects only.

Technical criteria have been provided by LIFE HI4S partners to approach some benchmark analysis: for instance, the first elements analyzed in this process are the fluorinated gasses and the steel required to build the scrap drier. The environmental indicator considered is the GWP-100, that represents their global warming impact relative to the impact of the same quantity of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

The preliminary results of the analysis have brought some new perspectives to be discussed among partners to properly address the best design and development.