Supporting circular economy thinking in procurement, initial design and end-of-life treatment of energy infrastructure.
Zero Waste Scotland’s Low Carbon Heat (LCH) team is supporting the decarbonisation of Scottish businesses and local authorities by providing advice on district heating, waste heat recovery and industrial decarbonisation opportunities. As a leader in circular economy thinking, Zero Waste Scotland is also working to find solutions that maximise the value of limited resources and reflect the carbon impact of materials across their entire life cycle. For further details see https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/
Embedding circular economy thinking for equipment pivotal to the energy transition, such as for high grade steel in pipelines and high-volume insulation products, can systematically design out material leakage and disposal; reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero targets while generating just transition opportunities. Therefore, the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan should consider increasing support for circular economy thinking in procurement, initial design and end of life treatment for energy infrastructure.
Embedding circular economy thinking for equipment pivotal to the energy transition, such as for high grade steel in pipelines and high-volume insulation products, can systematically design out material leakage and disposal; reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero targets while generating just transition opportunities. Therefore, the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan should consider increasing support for circular economy thinking in procurement, initial design and end of life treatment for energy infrastructure.
Why the contribution is important
The circular economy (CE) recognises that everything has value. Products are designed and manufactured in such a way that they can be used and re-used for as long as possible, maximising their value. Then, at the end of their life, they can be refurbished, remanufactured or recycled into other high value, high quality products.
Example: FOAMGLAS®
FOAMGLAS® provides a cellular glass insulation material that is impervious to moisture, non-combustible, resistant to insects and can be used for insulating roofs, walls, and underground pipes. The product is manufactured primarily from sand, limestone, and soda ash. The bulk of this can be sourced from 66% recycled glass. These ingredients are mixed and melted into a molten glass, which is cooled and crushed into a fine powder. The powder is poured into moulds and a small amount of finely ground carbon-black is added. The full process results in blocks with insulating bubbles formed by CO2 in the cellular spaces.
To meet Scotland’s net zero target, by 2045 all homes and buildings in Scotland must have significantly reduced their energy use, and almost all must be using a zero-emissions heating system1. Retrofitting and replacing infrastructure on this scale will have considerable implications on resource use and waste generation:
Significant amounts of building material waste will be generated;
Carbon-intensive heating systems that will be removed will need to be recovered so they do not end up in landfill;
Unless we embed circular economy practices into the full life cycle of low-carbon heating systems, insulation solutions and fabric improvements, we may lock-in new significant tonnages of non-recoverable materials and ‘embodied carbon’2, to be landfilled when they will become obsolete.
Example: Steicoflex Wood Fibre Insulation
Steicoflex Wood Fibre Insulation provides a flexible insulation slab made from local forest thinnings and sawmill residues. Two processes are used to manufacture wood fibre insulation materials - the wet process and the dry process. In both processes, fresh coniferous wood is broken down by steam and mechanical treatment into individual fibres, which are then further processed. Wood fibre insulation materials are less likely to reach temperature levels that cause discomfort and STEICO states heat peaks are reduced by 25 to 33 per cent.
Globally, circular economy practices are still in their infancy, but the carbon savings potential is considerable, and Scotland could be a global leader in both decarbonisation of heat supply and circular economy practices if it fully seizes the opportunity within the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
1 These are all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and end-of-life management of a product or material.
2 Scottish Government (2021) Heat in Buildings Strategy - achieving net zero emissions in Scotland's buildings https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-buildings-strategy-achieving-net-zero-emissions-scotlands-buildings/pages/3/
Example: FOAMGLAS®
FOAMGLAS® provides a cellular glass insulation material that is impervious to moisture, non-combustible, resistant to insects and can be used for insulating roofs, walls, and underground pipes. The product is manufactured primarily from sand, limestone, and soda ash. The bulk of this can be sourced from 66% recycled glass. These ingredients are mixed and melted into a molten glass, which is cooled and crushed into a fine powder. The powder is poured into moulds and a small amount of finely ground carbon-black is added. The full process results in blocks with insulating bubbles formed by CO2 in the cellular spaces.
To meet Scotland’s net zero target, by 2045 all homes and buildings in Scotland must have significantly reduced their energy use, and almost all must be using a zero-emissions heating system1. Retrofitting and replacing infrastructure on this scale will have considerable implications on resource use and waste generation:
Significant amounts of building material waste will be generated;
Carbon-intensive heating systems that will be removed will need to be recovered so they do not end up in landfill;
Unless we embed circular economy practices into the full life cycle of low-carbon heating systems, insulation solutions and fabric improvements, we may lock-in new significant tonnages of non-recoverable materials and ‘embodied carbon’2, to be landfilled when they will become obsolete.
Example: Steicoflex Wood Fibre Insulation
Steicoflex Wood Fibre Insulation provides a flexible insulation slab made from local forest thinnings and sawmill residues. Two processes are used to manufacture wood fibre insulation materials - the wet process and the dry process. In both processes, fresh coniferous wood is broken down by steam and mechanical treatment into individual fibres, which are then further processed. Wood fibre insulation materials are less likely to reach temperature levels that cause discomfort and STEICO states heat peaks are reduced by 25 to 33 per cent.
Globally, circular economy practices are still in their infancy, but the carbon savings potential is considerable, and Scotland could be a global leader in both decarbonisation of heat supply and circular economy practices if it fully seizes the opportunity within the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
1 These are all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and end-of-life management of a product or material.
2 Scottish Government (2021) Heat in Buildings Strategy - achieving net zero emissions in Scotland's buildings https://www.gov.scot/publications/heat-buildings-strategy-achieving-net-zero-emissions-scotlands-buildings/pages/3/
by ZeroWasteScotland on September 12, 2022 at 04:58PM
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