Assessing the Environmental Impact of End of Life High Voltage Products
Ladda ner
Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Sustainable energy systems (MPSES), MSc
Publicerad
2022
Författare
Johansson, Tim
Tamura, Akiho
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
High voltage (HV) products respond to increased needs for long distance electricity
transmission from decentralised power generation systems such as solar and wind
power generation. With the expected increase in electricity production from renew able energy and electricity consumption in line with electrification in the industrial
and transport sectors, the demand of HV products is expected to increase. Hitachi
Energy is a leading manufacturing company in electric power products, and HV
products are the main products in one of their main business areas at the com pany. Currently, there is little knowledge about the disposal of HV products and
the levels of material recovery and recyclability. Recycling of metals and materials
is important both in terms of resource use and environmental impact. The aim
of this project is to perform an extensive survey of the current end-of-life man agement of the high voltage products and to assess its environmental impact. To
achieve this, a literature study was performed, covering regional regulations and
directives in waste handling, primary and secondary metal production, hazardous
substances, and concepts of circular economy. Interviews were then conducted with
EoL service providers. The environmental assessment was then made based on these
results, and on data collection through environmental reports. The results showed
high recycling rates for metals and uncontaminated transformer oil, while the small
amounts of conventional waste are sent directly to landfill or to incineration for en ergy recovery. Overall, the materials have an even higher recyclability potential and
present opportunities to save large amounts of energy and emissions by replacing
primary production. The decontamination of hazardous substances, such as PCB
contaminated oil and components, is an energy intensive process, but incineration
of them results in greater emissions and environmental harm. The hazardous sub stances should be eliminated or replaced in the products, both for environmental
reasons but also because handling them constitutes a risk to human health. Replac ing hazardous substances with alternative substances, product design that facilitates
recycling at EoL stage, optimising current recycling process in disassembly, separa tion and sorting stages, and dialogues between the product manufacture and EoL
service providers are important factors for increasing the level of material recycling
and recyclability, and for reducing the environmental impact on a product level.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
End of life , EoL , high voltage products , material recycling , Life cycle analysis , LCA , circular economy , waste management