Process information
| Key Data Set Information | |||
| Location | AT | ||
| Reference year | 2024 | ||
| Name |
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| Use advice for data set | Scope: This EPD is based on a declared unit of 1 metric ton of average voestalpine rails produced at the production site in Donawitz (Austria). The considered products are naturally hardened or heat treated (head hardened) rails. System boundary: The life cycle assessment of voestalpine rails refers to a cradle-to-gate analysis with modules C1-C4 and module D (A1-A3 +C +D). The following lifecycle phases are taken into consideration in the analysis: Module A1-A3 | Production stage The production stage includes the efforts of the production process of voestalpine Railway Systems GmbH at the site in Donawitz. On site the rolling mill, heat treatment and the finishing processes are considered. Steel blooms are provided by the integrated steel mill at the site in Donawitz. The upstream burdens of steel production are, therefore, considered via primary data. Electricity is provided at Donawitz in a power station where furnace gases are used as fuel. Since more energy is used than is supplied by the site's power station, natural gas and electricity is additionally supplied from the Austrian grid. No packaging is needed for the delivery of the product. Modul C1 | Destruction and demolition It is assumed that the product is not connected with other materials and can therefore be dismantled. Associated efforts are negligible, no environmental impacts from the deconstruction of the products are declared. Modul C2 | Transport to disposal Module C2 includes the transport to disposal. For this purpose, transport by truck over a distance of 50 km is assumed as a scenario. Module C3 | Waste treatment Product flows that reach Module D for recycling leave the product system in C3. Environmental impacts resulting from the grinding and sorting of steel scrap are not included. Module C4 | Landfilling Module C4 declares the environmental impacts incurred by landfilling (1% of the product). Module D | Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary The potential for substituting primary steel with a recycling scenario (99% of the product) is set forth in Module D. | ||
| Technical purpose of product or process | The products of voestalpine Rail Technology GmbH are used in railway systems, particularly in the following areas: ▪ High-speed railways ▪ Mixed railways (passenger and freight traffic) ▪ Heavy loads (including railways for ore transports) ▪ Urban public transportation (subways and trams) ▪ Railway switches (individual parts used in switch production) | ||
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| General comment on data set | The products of voestalpine Rail Technology GmbH are manufactured and delivered as roughly 130 different profiles and grades pursuant to applicable European and international standards, guidelines and specifications. The company is the manufacturer with the largest variety of rail profiles and grades worldwide. | ||
| Copyright | Yes | ||
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| Data set valid until | 2029 | ||
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| Technology description including background system | The starting material for the production of rails at voestalpine is crude steel made in the primary route (blast furnace, LD steelmaking plant) at the Donawitz site. The molten crude steel is cast into blooms using a continuous casting method. The blooms are temporarily stored in the bloom storage unit or in a holding pit and heated to rolling temperature in a controlled manner in the walking beam furnace. The rails are then pre-rolled in the reversing break-down mill (BDM). Final shaping of the rails takes place in the ultra-flexible rail mill (UFR). Depending on customer specifications, the rails are cooled naturally or heat-treated to achieve desired properties. As a rail manufacturer with the largest variety of profiles and grades in the world, this results in a mode of operation that is not directly comparable with other more standardized production routes. The high number of rollers and conversions in the production flow also mean a specifically higher energy demand. Further production stages: ▪ Vertical and horizontal straightening ▪ Non-destructive testing (visual testing, flatness testing, eddy current testing and ultrasonic testing) ▪ Final straightening ▪ Cutting ▪ Drilling ▪ Final acceptance ▪ Storage and shipping Technical data: This EPD refers to all products of voestalpine Rail Technology GmbH in a variety of different steel grades, dimensions, shapes and as-delivered conditions. Declared unit: This environmental product declaration refers to a declared unit of 1 metric ton of average voestalpine rail. | ||
Modelling and validation
| Subtype | average dataset | ||||
| LCA methodology report | |||||
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| Compliance Declarations | |||||
| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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Administrative information
| Commissioner and goal | |
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| Data generator | |
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| Data entry by | |
| Time stamp (last saved) | 2024-11-22T00:00:00 |
| Data set format(s) | |
| Publication and ownership | |
| UUID | f4cb5dd7-367c-48ff-aa3b-b7831db3cc6f |
| Data set version | 00.01.000 |
| Preceding Data set version | |
| Registration authority | |
| Registration number | EPD-VOE-20240516-IBC1-DE |
| Owner of data set | |
| Copyright | Yes |
| License type | Free of charge for all users and uses |
| Access and use restrictions | None |
Environmental indicators
Indicators of life cycle