ecoinvent Version 3.11

Supporting our users with a broader spectrum of data, version 3.11 of the ecoinvent database creates new possibilities for the field of sustainability. This update features more than 2,066 new and 4,497 updated datasets.

ecoinvent v3.11 was released on November 19th, 2024. Discover how to upgrade to our latest version.

 

November 19th, 2024

Version 3.11 introduces brilliant new updates to the following sectors: fuels, energy, chemicals and plastics, batteries, metals, building and construction, waste, agriculture, forestry, pulp and paper, and transport.

Sectorial Updates

Fuels

The new ecoinvent version 3.11 builds on the extensive oil and gas overhaul in versions 3.9.1 (2022) and 3.10 (2023). New or updated natural gas supplies at high pressure are provided for 57 countries, representing 88% of global gas consumption, based on the supply situation in 2023. Furthermore, the estimates for onshore/offshore pipeline transport and LNG shipping distances have been revised in v3.11 for improved regionalization. The supply mixes for crude petroleum oil in Switzerland, Europe without Switzerland, the Region of North America (RNA), Brazil (BR), Colombia (CO), India (IN), Peru (PE), and South Africa (ZA) are updated to reflect the trade situation in 2023. Based on the latest trade statistics for 2023, this update reflects the effect of shifts in the natural gas supply chain due to geopolitical developments in recent years, especially in the European market.

Additionally, version 3.11’s fuels sector includes updated supply chains for lignite and hard coal based on 2022 data, with revised methane emission factors for mining and updated production volumes. To enhance regionalization, hard coal mining activities have been expanded to include 4 new European geographies, while hard coal market activities now encompass 22 new geographies within Europe, as well as newly differentiated markets in Japan and South Korea. Several new hard coal import activities have also been added, providing a more accurate and detailed representation of global coal trade flows. Lastly, meta information has been updated, corrected, and harmonized across all hard coal and lignite datasets.

Energy

ecoinvent 3.11 updates the energy sector’s electricity market mixes to reflect the situation in 2021. In the specific cases of Brazil, China, USA, Canada, and Switzerland the electricity mixes are updated to reflect the situation in 2022. India was updated to represent the fiscal year of April 2021/March 2022. All specific cases are based on national statistics, while the remaining countries are based on global statistics. Starting with version 3.11, the global statistics are based on statistics from the enerdata database. The residual mixes reflect the newest data from 2023.

Besides additional minor corrections, harmonization efforts were performed to update documentation and meta information of electricity markets, transformation, and import datasets.

Chemicals

The chemicals sector in ecoinvent v3.11 is updated to improve the data representation for key chemical precursors, such as carbon monoxide, acetic acid and its esters, acrylic esters, cumene, nitrobenzene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, aniline, phosgene, and bisphenol A. Hence, this dedicated supply chain enhancement improves the representation for various chemical and plastic derivatives, including isocyanates, polyurethanes, epoxy resins, and polycarbonates.

Furthermore, ecoinvent v3.11 replaces previously aggregated data for methyl chloride, methyl methacrylate, and polymethyl methacrylate from previous database versions with disaggregated unit processes to enable accurate linking to the ecoinvent background data.

Moreover, v3.11 introduces updated industry data covering the supply vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride production, provided by the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers, and unsaturated polyester (UP) and epoxy vinyl ester (VE) resins, provided by the European UP/VE Resins Association. This includes (1) VE resins based on bisphenol A epoxy, and (2) UP resins based on dicyclopentadiene, isophthalic acid, maleic and o-phthalic acids, as well as recycled polyethylene terephthalate. Additionally, ecoinvent v3.11 features new data for composite manufacturing, provided by Centre Technique Industriel, IPC, i.e., compression, molding, pultrusion, manual/hand processes, and filament winding processes, to expand the ecoinvent data coverage in this domain.

Finally, the chemicals sector in ecoinvent v3.11 builds on the work completed in preceding versions by updating existing data and expanding their geographical coverage whenever possible, as well as including 18 new products not previously covered. Specifically, ecoinvent v3.11 introduces data for selected chemicals in Asia either as aggregate regions or as individual countries and in the United States. These efforts will continue for future releases.

Batteries

The batteries sector has been updated with two new chemistries of Li-ion batteries: NMC532 (nickel cobalt manganese) and NMC622 for Chinese and Global geographies. The new datasets include the cathode active material precursor (NMC hydroxide), the cathode active material (NMC oxide), the cathode, the cell, and the battery pack. These are modeled following the same approach as the other Li-ion batteries in the database. A new activity for lithium titanate spinel was developed as an additional anode active material. Additionally, to support new battery technologies, a dataset for sodium-ion battery electrolyte was developed.

The production route for synthetic graphite production in the Chinese geography was updated based on a collaboration with Tokai COBEX and in line with a newly published paper. The production of natural graphite in China for battery application was also added to the database.

Finally, the batteries sector takes a step towards a comprehensive content update focused on market dataset updates and harmonization of the production volume of Li-ion battery components.

Metals

This update expands and improves the data coverage of the metals sector with new and updated data. ecoinvent v3.11 introduces data on the production of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) in Europe and a related dataset on the production of a 3.2% silicon alloy steel used as feedstock in the production of GOES. Two datasets on gallium production in China are added: low-grade and high-grade (data provided by EMPA). Improvements in the current coverage of the metals sector encompass a variety of aspects, namely the update of properties such as metal content and prices, the addition of missing exchanges, or their renaming. Prices were updated for approximately 60 metal products based on the ISE (Institute of Rare Earths and Strategic Metals) database. Metal content properties were updated or added to more than 100 metal products. Mining datasets were updated with the integration of previously missing gangue exchanges, hence improving the impact assessment of those datasets. Finally, some metal scrap exchanges were renamed to improve clarity, enabling users to identify the relevant metal scrap exchange more easily.

Building and Construction

The v3.11 update brings rich enhancements to the building and construction sector of the ecoinvent database, including a wealth of new data and several updates. New datasets for limestone extraction and primary crushing, clinker production, and cement manufacturing were developed through a collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Cement Association of Canada (CAC). These datasets cover both average Canadian production (CA) and specific data for Ontario (CA-ON). Datasets about limestone extraction and crushing form the basis for subsequent datasets on clinker manufacturing, which share the same geographical scope. The clinker datasets, in turn, are used to create four additional datasets for general use (GU) and general use limestone (GUL) cement, in accordance with the CSA A3001 standard, while also referencing other relevant North American standards such as ASTM C150 and ASTM C595. Additionally, an internally developed dataset on integrated cement plants in Canada (CA) is introduced in v3.11, offering a comprehensive representation of the facilities and machinery used for manufacturing both clinker and cement mixes, covering all major stages of production.

Furthermore, several updates on existing datasets of the sector have been performed for v3.11. The supply chain of limestone and lime products has been revised, where the names and properties of the upstream activities and products have been modified, and the production volumes, and therefore the market shares, have been updated. Other updates include the revision of the production activities of lime mortar, cement mortar, concrete 50MPa, concrete block (several), limestone, hydraulic lime, quicklime, sand, gravel, glazing (double and triple), bitumen seal, shale brick, and thermal plaster.

Waste Management and Recycling

In version 3.11, the waste sector is enhanced with various data additions and updates, covering a wide range of topics. The datasets modeling the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the 27 EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom are now fully regionalized. They are based on customized elemental and fractional composition of waste being regionally generated, while each country has an updated, local technology treatment mix. The respective markets also employ regionalized transport distances and regionalized losses when needed.

Extensive changes are implemented also in the field of plastic recycling. New data is added to model mechanical recycling of waste plastic in Europe, in collaboration with Plastics Recyclers Europe. The modeled polymers include waste polyethylene (PE), polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/ polystyrene (ABS/PS), and mixed plastics generated from many different sources like household, industrial, agricultural, commercial, construction and demolition, WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment), etc. On top of that, chemical recycling of waste polyester is modeled in China in collaboration with Alibaba Cloud – Energy Experts. Waste polyester is sourced from industrial activities of textile production and it is chemically treated into polyethylene terephthalate pellets. Another type of chemical recycling is incorporated by modeling hydrothermal treatment of waste mixed plastics in the United Kingdom. The data is provided by Mura Technology in collaboration with the University of Warwick.

Moreover, two more treatment processes are added. The first covers the treatment of wastewater generated during textile production in Europe and global geography. The second represents the treatment of graphite tailings from mining operations of natural graphite in China. Finally, a harmonized nomenclature is applied to all waste and scrap metals to clarify the fate of metal by-products, for example, if the flow is treated via incineration, landfill, etc., or if it gets recycled to be reused.

Agriculture

In the agriculture sector, 3.11 unveils a comprehensive update on Swiss agricultural production, made possible by our close collaboration with Agroscope. This release includes detailed datasets covering fruit-bearing trees like apple and pear, cereal grains such as barley, maize, wheat, and root, and cruciferous vegetables including carrots and cauliflower, as well as protein-rich legume crops like peas and fava beans. Conventional and organic farming methods are covered across Switzerland’s mountain, hill, and plain subregions, contributing to a total of 136 new datasets—providing deeper insights into Swiss farming.

Forestry and Wood

The updates in the forestry and wood sector in 3.11 are focused on updating existing data and documentation, particularly the production volumes of forestry activities. Additionally, the sector was affected by biogenic carbon corrections which were performed on a database-wide scale.

Pulp and Paper

The pulp and paper sector has been enhanced with the addition of three new datasets related to paper-based packaging for fast food applications. The activities model the production of various tableware, such as paper cups and lids, burger wraps, and fry boxes. The data was provided by EPPA (European Paper Packaging Alliance). Existing activities related to beverage carton converting, and kraft paper and paper sack production were updated with recent industry data. The data for beverage carton converting was provided by ACE (The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) and by ifeu (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung). The kraft paper-related data was provided by CEPI Eurokraft and Eurosac in collaboration with RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden).

Transport

The transport sector in version 3.11 benefits from three main updates. The first update is of the circulating fleet of passenger cars in Europe and on a global scale, aiming to improve the representativeness of the circulating fleet. The second update aims to improve the clarity and accessibility of datasets. By adopting a standardized nomenclature for all transport datasets, it is possible to identify the differences between datasets more easily. The third update includes new datasets related to the maintenance of aircraft on a European and global scale. The datasets are based on flight and maintenance schedules tailored for the different haulage that each dataset has.

LCIA Methods Updates

For version 3.11, non-fossil carbon flows were updated and balanced with special attention to biogenic carbon uptake. This allows characterizing non-fossil carbon dioxide with -1/+1 for removals/releases when assessing climate change impacts following IPCC, which is demanded by some standards and guidelines such as ISO 14067. The implementation of this was done by introducing a complementary method (“IPCC 2021 (incl. biogenic CO2)”) to the existing one (“IPCC 2021”). Impact categories from the two methods can be mapped to standards and guidelines.

Furthermore, the EN15804 impact assessment was restructured and renamed to be closer to the nomenclature in the standard. This will help users find the right indicator.

Relevant Documents and Files

Report of Changes

This report covers all changes made in the ecoinvent database between version 3.10 (2023) and 3.11 (2024). It reflects both database-wide changes, as well as sector-specific changes.

Correspondence File

The correspondence file is a spreadsheet that lists all datasets in versions 3.10 and 3.11 and matches corresponding datasets between versions.

Database Overview File

The database overview file describes the contents of the database. The following information is contained in the file:

• Activity Overview(s)

The lists of datasets contained in each of the three system models, including the list of unlinked and unallocated datasets.

• ecoinvent Geographies

The geographies used in the ecoinvent database. Each geography is assigned a classification, and the geographies contained in each geography are indicated.

• LCIA Methods

The list of the LCIA methods for which ecoinvent calculates impact scores. The version of the methods is indicated, and the original source used for defining the characterization factors is provided. 

LCIA Implementation Report

The LCIA implementation report documents the implementation of LCIA methods for version 3.11.

3.11 Data Providers

• Agroscope
• Alibaba Cloud – Energy Experts
• Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE)
• CEPI Eurokraft and Eurosac (in collaboration with RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden))
• Cement Association of Canada (CAC)
• Centre Technique Industriel, IPC
• Climate TRACE
• EMPA
• enerdata
• ESU-services Ltd. 
• European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers
• European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA)
• European UP/VE Resins Association
• German Aerospace Center (DLR)
• ifeu (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung)
• Institute of Rare Earths and Strategic Metals
• Joint Research Center (JRC)
• Mura Technology (in collaboration with the University of Warwick)
• National Research Council of Canada (NRC)
• Plastics Recyclers Europe
• Tokai COBEX

Known Issues

This section lists all known data errors in version 3.11 of the ecoinvent database.

LCIA Issues

The unit for the impact category “eutrophication: terrestrial” in the method “EN15804+A2 - Core impact categories and indicators” should be “mol N-Eq” instead of “mol H+-Eq”.