Pipeline Carbon and Sustainability Estimating West East Link pipeline

Pipeline Carbon and Sustainability Estimating United Utilities is committed to reducing carbon emissions We have devised methods of predicting the carbon footprint of major projects, such as water tanks, pumping stations and pipelines. This allows us to see the impacts of what we are building and where we can possibly reduce emissions. So that we don’t make decisions that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions but increase other environmental and social impacts, we have also developed a system of evaluating other sustainability impacts such as waste production, community disturbance and other airborne emissions. We applied this method to the West East Link pipeline and we would like you to try and do the same for a slightly smaller 10km pipeline - to identify which is the more sustainable pipeline material: steel or plastic. The calculations use construction information, such as the weight of building materials, and operational information, such as electricity use, to calculate impacts on the environment. The Carbon footprint is calculated in Carbon Dioxide equivalents (CO2e) to combine a range of greenhouse gas impacts into one comparable unit measure. Sustainability impacts have been assigned monetary values based on the potential damage caused to allow comparison.

The Challenge: Steel or Plastic? CHOOSE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE PIPELINE MATERIAL FOR THE PIPELINE RUNNING FROM A TO B The following pages provide you with a diagram of the pipeline, data required to calculate the carbon and sustainability impacts and a summary sheet in order to record your results. We have provided a calculation spreadsheet to do the number crunching for you. Simply put in the correct data and the spreadsheet will calculate the impacts as shown There are then some further questions about the impacts of the pipeline

Diagram of pipeline from Reservoir A to Reservoir B Quarry 40km Steel Mill 100km Reservoir A Reservoir B Landfill site 40km Plastic Factory 100km 10km The calculations assume a worst case scenario as follows: ­ All pipeline materials have been made using 100% new materials ­ All excavated material is exported off site to a landfill site for disposal ­ All aggregate used comes direct from a quarry ­ All fuel and electricity used for pumping the water is fossil fuel based

Key Data Required Use this data and the calculation spreadsheet to find the carbon footprint and sustainability impacts of the pipeline

Your results and recommendation? Which pipeline material would you choose? Why? Suggest ways to reduce the Carbon and sustainability impacts of the pipeline, both during construction and operation? Mention some other criteria that would need to be considered in choosing the pipeline material? Carbon Footprint (tCO 2 e) Construction Carbon Footprint Operational Carbon Footprint Total lifetime Carbon Footprint Plastic Pipe Steel Pipe Sustainability Impact (£) Construction Sustainability Impact Operational Sustainability Impact Total Lifetime Sustainability Impact Plastic Pipe Steel Pipe Fill in the answers from the spreadsheet in the tables and then answer the questions below:

The Answers! Carbon Footprint (tCO 2 e) Construction Carbon Footprint Operational Carbon Footprint Total lifetime Carbon Footprint Plastic Pipe10, , , Steel Pipe6, , , Sustainability Impact (£) Construction Sustainability Impact Operational Sustainability Impact Total Lifetime Sustainability Impact Plastic Pipe3,335,04769,8583,404,905 Steel Pipe3,004,91269,8583,074,770 The calculation spreadsheet should give the following answers:

The Answers II Which pipeline material would you choose? Why? The steel pipeline has the smaller carbon footprint and smaller sustainability impacts of the two materials and therefore would be the most sustainable choice of material. Suggest ways to reduce the Carbon and sustainability impacts of your pipeline? Using recycled materials for the pipe material may reduce the carbon footprint Recycling the excavated material on site for reuse will reduce the need for new aggregate and reduce transport to and from site Use lower carbon forms of transport will reduce transport carbon emissions Use renewable energy for the operational pumping will reduce carbon and other air emissions Mention some other criteria that would need to be considered in choosing the pipeline material? The cost of the different pipeline materials would be a big consideration in terms of choosing the material – would you choose steel if it cost three times as much as the plastic alternative? The availability of the material may also be a consideration – would you be willing to wait for the steel pipeline material if it would delay your project by a long period of time. Does your construction team have experience / the tools to deal with the chosen material?

Teaching Information Carbon footprints are calculated using the best available information as follows: Embodied carbon (the emissions derived from the manufacture of the construction materials) are taken from work by Professor Geoff Hammond and Craig Jones at the University of Bath Operational carbon conversions are taken from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) 2008 Guidelines to Defra's GHG Conversion Factors The sustainability impact costs are based on estimates of the monetary evaluation of the environmental and social impacts. Steel / plastic / aggregates – mainly based on the environmental impacts of these being finite resources and the impact of producing them Excavated materials – mainly based on the impact of taking up landfill space which would be unavailable to others Transport – mainly based on the community disturbance and the wear and tear on the road infrastructure Operational Pumping – mainly based on the environmental and health impacts of SO 2 and NO x emissions from electricity generation