Report on the positive CAT4HEAVY health impact for health organisations elaborated by LOMARTOV

Despite public-use heavy-duty vehicles (waste collection, trucks, lorries, cranes, etc.) representing only 5% of vehicles, they contribute to 33% of the emissions produced within urban centres. Thus, the circulation of technologically obsolete heavy-duty vehicles adversely affects the cities’ quality of atmosphere throughout Europe.

In this context, the LIFE CAT4HEAVY “Nano-catalysts for heavy duty applications” project (Grant Agreement no. LIFE17 ENV/GR/000352) pretends to implement the use of an innovative catalyst-based emission control system on heavy vehicles (HDV), which will significantly impact the environment, dramatically reducing greenhouse gases and air pollutant emissions.

The implementation of HDVs demonstrations will be held on different vehicles of the Municipality of Galatsi (Greece), the Public Company of Waste Management of the Port of Genova (Italy) and the Public Transport Company of Mantua Region (Italy). To develop this work, CAT4HEAVY counts on the support of 8 partners from 4 European countries, including GALATSI as a project coordinator, MONOLITHOS, MNLT Innovations, APAM ESERCIZIO, Ge. Am Gestioni Ambientali, Altran, and LOMARTOV.

Within the project, the LOMARTOV team is carrying out a full environmental, economic and social assessment using life cycle assessment methodology to quantify the sustainability performance of the CAT4HEAVY novel catalytic system. As a part of this task, a complete report on the positive CAT4HEAVY health impact on health organisations has been elaborated in 2022.

This document provides an evaluation of the developed technology by performing a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) with two different methodological approaches under the UNEP Guidelines: “Reference Scale” (RS) Assessment, aiming to study the potential social impacts of the manufacturing of the Catalyst-Based Emission Control System; and “Impact Pathway ” (IP) Assessment, which scoped the use stage of the catalyst system.

The S-LCA methodology has been applied through some of the modelling and systematic assessment processes of the Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), thus fitted into the ISO 14040 framework (ISO, 2020 & 2006) and with the possibility to be applied on its own or combining E-LCA and/or LCC. Therefore, it builds on the same methodological context, which includes four phases adopted in this delivery covering goal and scope definition, social life cycle inventory, social life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation of results.

After analysing all provided data, the main risks in automotive and metal products industries have been detected, with its primary contributors and paying attention to the components. At the same time, subsequent to the use stage assessment, it was stated that the retrofit of analysed materials could positively reduce the linked human health impacts offering an attractive alternative to mitigate the leading local health issues such as cardiovascular diseases and respiratory affections. Additionally, a closer approach to the sources of information and a detailed study of the stakeholder’s opinion was recommended, to understand how to work on the spotted social issues, being urged to cover the impact categories with the highest risk exposed in this study.

The obtained results help us to ensure the achievement of the project development and advance with the initial conclusions devoted to overseeing and assessing the sustainable performance of the project from a life cycle perspective. Additionally, quantify the health benefits for the population related to implementing the developed system to provide valuable information to health organizations and stakeholders, thus enhancing the CAT4HEAVY system added value for project exploitation planning.

Further information about the project here.

 


This project has received funding from the European Union’s LIFE programme under Grant Agreement No. LIFE17 ENV/GR/000352.

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