Life cycle assessment at GE

An overview of GE’s life cycle assessment efforts

William P. Flanagan, PhD

Director, Ecoassessment Center of Excellence
General Electric Company

Global Issues in Manufacturing

University of Kentucky

ecoassessment center of excellence

GE today

Power & Water Energy Management Oil & Gas GE Capital

Healthcare Aviation Transportation Home & Business Solutions

Aligned for growth

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 We believe the world’s most pressing
challenges present an opportunity to
do what we do best:
imagine and build innovative
solutions that benefit our customers
and society at large

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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

More than just

carbon footprint

Comparison relative to a baseline Comprehensive suite of

- Differentiate products environmental impact categories
- Evaluate alternatives
- Prioritize opportunities for improvement
- Mitigate environmental issues

A technique to assess the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated

with a product, process, or service throughout its life cycle. (ISO 14040, 2006)

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GE Ecoassessment
Center of Excellence resources

material
end of life
processing

Mission: Position GE for evolving life cycle-based

regulatory / stakeholder expectations and product
use manufacturing
competitor positioning
distribution
Roles:
•Expertise and guidance
Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Life cycle management (LCM) • Understand and communicate emerging
Carbon, energy, water footprint requirements & trends
ecoDesign / Design for Environment • Customer / stakeholder engagement
•Business LCM strategies / integration • Green ranking surveys / citizenship
•Tools and resources • GE credibility build
• Project execution & coordination
•Education and awareness
• MarComm support
•Policy and advocacy support
•External networks

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Increasing environmental drivers in the market
Customer Regulator Competitor

• Increasing demand for • Increasing international • Growing availability of

products, services, and pressures for environmentally
solutions that provide sustainability preferred products (EPP)
economic value with performance & disclosure and environmental
lower environmental product declarations
impact • Strengthening (EPD)
environmentally focused
• Growing environmental public procurement • Increasing environmental
disclosure requests programs disclosure
• More supply chain • Stricter green marketing • Opportunity for thought
sustainability initiatives regulations leadership, market
influence

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Proper use of LCA
LCA is:
A quantitative method to determine ‘what is green?’
•Understand environmental impacts across life cycle
•Identify most impactful materials, processes, activities
•Design new products/processes with reduced impacts
•Communicate life cycle environmental benefits

A tool that supports a broader product stewardship toolkit

Most powerful when used comparatively
•Different technologies (e.g., CFL vs. incandescent)
•Design choices (materials, processes, business models)
•Tradeoffs (e.g., mercury in CFL vs. energy savings)
•Burden shifts (e.g., EV shifts energy demand from gasoline to grid)

LCA is not: Nuanced requirements apply to

external communication of LCA
An environmental risk assessment tool
results (ISO 14040-44):
A chemical hazards management tool •3rd-party critical review
A product regulatory compliance management tool •Limits on normalization/weighting

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LCA for product comparison / eco-labeling?

•Tradeoff assessment
•Clear differentiation

•Too similar
•Differences are in the weeds

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Suite of LCA approaches
Fully comprehensive LCA Screening LCA

Currently accessible region

Extensive Streamlined Screening
LCA LCA LCA

Screening LCA
1 • Product development, design for
environment, early insight

Streamlined LCA
2 • Reduced system boundaries

Extensive LCA
3 • ISO 14040-14044

Upper graphic adapted from: Graedel, Thomas E., “Streamlined Life-Cycle

Assessment,” Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998, p. 88.
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Business-driven application of LCA
Direct and indirect value
eco Product Innovation
LCA a key element of environmentally conscious product design
(but not the only element)

Commercial
(1) Ability to deliver complex environmental messaging;
(2) Ability to compete for bids requiring LCA / carbon footprint

Business Strategy
Identify strategic business opportunities

Due Diligence / Risk Management

Identifying and addressing potential perceptual and business risks

Reputation
(1) Enhancing corporate reputation and eco brand value;
(2) Ensuring seat at environmental policy table

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 LCA example:
2.5xl wind turbine

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GE Energy 2.5xl Wind Turbine
Product Overview
GE’s 2.5xl wind turbine

Purpose/Driver of LCA
WRI / WBCSD GHG Protocol
Product Standard Road Testing
Provide detailed feedback to WRI/WBCSD
prior to final release of the standard
Develop life cycle eco profile of wind
turbine to support customer requests

Scope of LCA
Cradle-to-grave, performed to WRI/WBCSD
product GHG standard

Additional data collected to support multi-

impact category LCA Based on site capacity factor of 0.35 for a wind
turbine installation in Sweden

• Road test GHG Protocol Initiative product standard

• Respond to customer inquiries
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2.5xl Results
Results/Lessons Learned
Majority (65%) of GHG emissions are
in supply chain
Very short carbon payback times
(compared to 20-year wind turbine
lifetime)
Impacts/Successes
Life cycle GHG assessment complete
Excel tools developed
Study expanded to include full multi-
impact LCA; interpretation and
documentation underway

Wind turbines offer very

attractive environmental
performance relative to
average grid

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Wind Energy vs. US Grid

Very short carbon payback times

(compared to 20-year wind turbine lifetime)

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 LCA example:
3D printing

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Additive Manufacturing of Fuel Nozzles
Pilot of US DoD streamlined LCA methodology

Traditional fuel nozzles are manufactured

via forging and machining processes

Fuel nozzles manufactured by additive

manufacturing processes offer:
• >20% weight reduction
• 5x longer part life

Potential for significantly reduced life cycle

environmental impact and total cost of
CFM LEAP engine
ownership due to:
• Reduced part weight:
o Reduced fuel consumption over the life of the aircraft system
o Increased mission capability (load capacity)
• Net lower raw material consumption
• Enhanced performance

Direct metal laser sintering

Courtesy EADS Innovation Works

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US Department of Defense
• Defense industry consortium: Mission Ready Sustainability
Initiative
oGE Aviation, Lockheed Martin, BASF, 3M, General Dynamics, others
• Aimed at DoD sustainability initiatives:
oDoD Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, Air Force Energy
Plan, Presidential Executive Orders 13514 / 13423
oSustainability tools and metrics may be imposed on DoD
acquisitions
• DoD Streamlined LCA / LCC methodology developed for use US Department of Defense:
“Integrating Sustainability into
in defense acquisitions DoD Acquisitions”
oPilots: GE, 3M, BASF, Lockheed Martin
oMethod integrates environmental and cost aspects
oTotal Cost of Ownership

Understand and build capability for emerging acquisition criteria

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Pilot project benefits

Clear need for trade-off assessment

o Environmental impact
o Total cost of ownership
o Trade-offs relevant to supplier: design, supply chain, manufacturing, performance
o Trade-offs relevant to US DoD: total cost, mission, sustainment & operations

Opportunity to pilot methodology early in product development

o Ability to leverage insights gained

Focus on additive manufacturing

o Understand trade-offs before paradigm shift

Understand net benefit and trade-offs associated with

paradigm shift to advanced manufacturing processes

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Sustainable manufacturing
Sustainable manufacturing should consider all life cycle stages
Different materials may have different:
 supply chain impacts
 manufacturability
 performance properties (e.g., thermal, mechanical)
 end of life options (e.g., recyclability, re-usability)
Different manufacturing processes may:
 enable novel material choices
 have different material and energy efficiencies
 enable unique part geometries or other features affecting performance
 offer enhanced repair-ability, re-usability, recyclability at end of life

Additive manufacturing offers the potential for unique part geometries or

performance that can yield environmental benefit across the full life cycle

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 LCA example:
single-use process technology

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GE WAVE Bioreactor + ReadyToProcess™

Product Overview
GEHC’s full process train solution for
monoclonal antibody production

Purpose/Driver of LCA
To compare the potential environmental
impacts of multi-use vs. single-use process
technology, and to use the results in
marketing (industry-wide messaging and
direct customer engagement)

Scope of LCA
Detailed LCA with 3rd-party panel critical
review to ISO 14040-44 standards

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Process Train for Production of mAbs
1 2 3
N-2 Seed N-1 Seed Vent Filter

4
NFF
KEY Cell Growth Cell Growth
Pleated
Media Prep Media Sterilization 5
1 N-2 Seed Blending /
2 N-1 Seed Cell Culture Clarification Storage
3 Bioreactor Air Filtration
4 Depth Filtration Clarification
5 Bioburden Reduction I 9 8 Clarification 7 6
Blending /
6 Protein A Storage
7 Virus Inactivation
Pool Mixing Capture
8 Bioburden Reduction II pH Virus
Sterile
9 No Tank Bioburden Reduction Adjustment Inactivation
Filtration
10 Capture IEX
11 Flow Through IEX 10 11 Virus Filtration 12
12 Viral Filtration
13 UF/DF Blending /
14 Sterile Filtration II Adjustment / Storage
Removal
Support CIP/SIP System Holding Polishing

14 13

Support CIP/SIP System Storage

(not shown) Diafiltration /
Product Sterile
Concentration
Fill Filtration Storage

Diagram Courtesy of BioPharm Services, Ltd. 22

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Environmental impact assessment
ReCiPe Midpoint (H) V1.04 / World ReCiPe H
Midpoint impact category Unit
Climate change kg CO2 eq
Ozone depletion kg CFC-11 eq
Human toxicity kg 1,4-DB eq
Photochemical oxidant formation kg NMVOC
Particulate matter formation kg PM10 eq
Ionising radiation kg U235 eq
Terrestrial acidification kg SO2 eq
Freshwater eutrophication kg P eq
Marine eutrophication kg N eq
Terrestrial ecotoxicity kg 1,4-DB eq
Freshwater ecotoxicity kg 1,4-DB eq
Marine ecotoxicity kg 1,4-DB eq
Agricultural land occupation m2a
Urban land occupation m2a
Natural land transformation m2
Water depletion m3
Metal depletion kg Fe eq
Fossil depletion kg oil eq

Single Use approach exhibits lower environmental

impact in all 18 categories studied

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Method
ReCiPe Endpoint

What are damage categories? ReCiPe Endpoint (H) V1.04 / World ReCiPe H/A
Endpoint impact category Damage category Unit
Endpoint methods group the various Climate change Human Health Human Health DALY
environmental impact categories into several Ozone depletion Human Health DALY
“damage” categories (see table at right). In the Human toxicity Human Health DALY
case of ReCiPe, three damage categories are Photochemical oxidant formation Human Health DALY
considered: Particulate matter formation Human Health DALY
Ionising radiation Human Health DALY
Climate change Ecosystems Ecosystems species.yr
–Human Health Terrestrial acidification Ecosystems species.yr
–Ecosystems Freshwater eutrophication Ecosystems species.yr
Terrestrial ecotoxicity Ecosystems species.yr
–Resources Freshwater ecotoxicity Ecosystems species.yr
Marine ecotoxicity Ecosystems species.yr
Agricultural land occupation Ecosystems species.yr
Urban land occupation Ecosystems species.yr
Natural land transformation Ecosystems species.yr
Metal depletion Resources surplus cost, $
Fossil depletion Resources surplus cost, $

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Process Train Comparison
Full Process Train – Three Process Scales
ReCiPe Endpoint (H) V1.04 / World ReCiPe H/A
(scaled to 100% – smaller is better)
Increasing environmental impact

Results are normalized by kg MAb produced in a 10-batch campaign at each scale

Single Use process has lower impact at all three scales in each damage category

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Cumulative Energy Demand and Global Warming Potential

2000L scale

Supply Chain Use Phase End of Life Supply Chain Use Phase End of Life

Highly purified process water and steam drive greenhouse gas

emissions and cumulative energy demand

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Full process train comparisons
Life Cycle Stages – 2000L Scale

Use phase dominates

environmental impacts

ReCiPe Endpoint (H) V1.04 / World ReCiPe H/A

(scaled to 100% – smaller is better)

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End of Life Comparison: 2000L Scale
Conservative Assumptions

Climate change Considered

Human toxicity All single use components are
Particulate matter incinerated

Not Considered
Waste heat recovery

Climate change
Ag land occupation
Urban land occupation
Land transformation

Fossil depletion
Metals depletion

benefit impact

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Key takeaways

1 Single Use technology exhibits lower environmental

impact across the full life cycle
 reduction of WFI, process water, steam
 less requirement for CIP/SIP

2 Single Use technology does show larger environmental

burdens at end of life, but these impacts are minor
relative to use phase energy and water savings

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 life cycle management

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Life Cycle Management:
A Critical Strategy on the Path to Resource Efficiency
1. Life Cycle Management (LCM)
A systematic approach to managing product-related environmental issues
throughout a product’s life cycle
Can be broadly applied across a product portfolio
Efficiently identifies opportunities for improvement; helps focus resources on
areas that benefit from deeper analysis
2. Appropriate use of LCA
Very powerful when applied in support of an LCM strategy (along with other tools
and approaches)
Ranges from qualitative  screening  streamlined  detailed
Be selective and strategic: first determine the benefit
3. Goal of LCM (supported by LCA) is to…
Identify the most promising opportunities for real improvement
Create and maintain momentum toward real change
Incentivize game-changing products, technologies, solutions

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A tiered life cycle management strategy
Environmental Product LCM Tool
1 (qualitative)
Address identified issues
Tool rapidly Substances of concern
identifies issues Material scarcity
Toxicology assessments
Environmental risk assessment
Nanomaterial EH&S
Product regulatory compliance
Apply level 1 tool early in Etc.
product development across
broad product portfolio
2 Screening LCA

3 Streamlined LCA

4 Detailed LCA per ISO 14044

Strategic | Comprehensive | Efficient | Effective

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Environmental LCM Tool

Graphical results
Qualitative inputs organized
by life cycle stage
Customizable business
context filters

Simple, quick, yet comprehensive | Early Awareness | Directional guidance

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GE LCA Screening Tool

Key design insight

Use broad materials categories to
prevent over-collection of data
Develop average impact factors per
materials category

Tool features
Rapidly assess relative magnitude of
life cycle stages
Enter % material composition based
on broad materials categories
Automatically self-populates with
manufacturing process impacts based
on materials type

Tool intended for high-level screening – 1st entry point into LCA

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 Enabling principles
Be strategic and selective
Focus on value creation
Customize to business context
• Identify opportunities for real improvement
• Create & maintain momentum toward real change
• Incentivize game-changing products, technologies & solutions
• Drive resource optimization across the value chain

Life cycle messaging:

• We believe the world’s most pressing challenges present an opportunity to do what we do best:
imagine and build innovative solutions that benefit our customers and society at large
• LCA, applied in a strategic and selective manner, presents an opportunity for us to create even
greater value for our customers by considering the impact across the value chain
• As such, we tailor our application of LCA & LCM to address the breadth of GE’s solutions and
customers as well as evolving stakeholder expectations

Position for Changing Stakeholder Environment | Create Value | Avoid Distraction

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 Acknowledgements

Bill Flanagan Angela Fisher

flanagan@ge.com GE Ecoassessment

Ron Wroczynski
GE Ecoassessment

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