Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a digital tool that makes it easier for producers of rock materials to check the sustainability of their operations
Materials like sand and gravel, known as aggregates, are crucial for the construction industry. Aggregate producers are facing increasing sustainability requirements to help meet climate goals. This can be particularly challenging for smaller companies. For example, producers must create and publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which detail the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. These documents are used to inform potential customers about the product’s environmental footprint.
The Plantsmith tool helps companies to gain better control of their production processes and environment data, and makes it easier to create EPDs.
“When we started this project a few years ago, we noticed that it can be complicated for producers to make their own environmental calculations. External consultants are often hired to compile data, perform calculations, and produce Environmental Product Declarations. This process is expensive and gives producers little insight into the process,” said Gauti Asbjörnsson, one of the researchers in Chalmers Rock Processing Systems, the group behind the tool.
With Plantsmith, producers can enter their own environmental data and other business-specific information, allowing the tool to perform the environmental calculations and produce an EPD.
“We want producers to take control of their own environmental data and production processes. We hope our tool can make an EPD more than just a document that reports environmental impact to customers. It can also be used internally within companies to evaluate and streamline operations,” said Asbjörnsson.
Simulations will promote sustainable production
In addition to creating EPDs, the tool can also be used to simulate production processes. The purpose of the simulations is to make it easier for producers to evaluate the sustainability and efficiency of their operations and to investigate how they can be improved.
“With the simulation tool, producers get data such as how much energy is consumed in the process, what size distribution there will be on the material produced and the utilization of the machines as well as the cost per sorting,” said Asbjörnsson.
After having their production process simulated, producers can explore the consequences of different changes in the process, both for the product and the environmental impact. For example, they can replace a diesel machine with an electric one and see how much emissions would be reduced.
“We want to help producers make well-informed decisions to develop their businesses. By analyzing and then adjusting your processes, you can maximize the outcome from your production and sell as much as possible while consuming as little as possible. It benefits both the businesses and the environment” said Asbjörnsson.
New opportunities for benchmarking
Plantsmith is the first EPD tool specifically designed for the rock materials industry. An industry-specific tool makes it easier to compare the environmental impact of different producers.
“Until now, it has been difficult for producers to compare themselves with each other. Not everyone has EPDs, and those that do exist are developed with different tools that aren’t specific to the industry. This can lead to differences in calculations, making them not entirely comparable. We want an industry-specific tool so that everyone calculates in the same way,” said Asbjörnsson.
Currently, one focus of the project is to develop a benchmarking function in the tool. This will allow customers to see which producers meet their requirements and enable producers to compare themselves with others in the industry.
With the benchmarking function, you should be able to see a map of all aggregate producers in, for example, Sweden and click on them to see their performance. It will also be possible to filter on different properties, if you would like to see which producers use recycled materials or compare producers when it comes to factors such as carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption.
“If we can use the information contained in the EPDs and visualize it in an accessible way, it will be much easier for companies to see where they are in relation to each other, and hopefully they will use that information as motivation to develop their business further,” said Asbjörnsson.
A tool built on collaboration
There are 11 partners in the EPD-Berg project, which is behind the Plantsmith tool, in addition to the research group itself, including both large and small companies from the industry.
“Our industrial partners play a crucial role in this project. Thanks to dialogue with them, we can improve the tool and ensure its relevance to the industry. For them, collaboration is important because they gain insight into how the tool is being developed, so that they can use it in the best way in their operations,” said Asbjörnsson.
In addition to companies from the industry, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and the City of Gothenburg are also participating in the collaboration.
“The collaboration with IVL verifies that our tool is credible, thanks to their knowledge of EPDs and responsibility for the environmental database where all EPDs are published. The City of Gothenburg is an important partner because Gothenburg is a municipality that invests heavily in sustainability, with the goal that 50 percent of the aggregate material they purchase should be recycled.”
Increasing interest and international potential
Plantsmith is currently used by a small number of aggregates producers in Sweden, but the research group plans to launch the tool on the market in 2025.
The requirements for producers to publish an EPD have increased, which has led to a clear increase in demand since work on the tool began five years ago. The group also plans to make the Plantsmith available on the European market with 26,000 aggregates plants, many small producers, who would benefit greatly from the tool.
“Ultimately, it is about contributing to a sustainable and circular rock materials industry and the construction industry, by making it easier for producers to meet sustainability requirements,” said Asbjörnsson.
