Requirements and guidelines according to the GHG Protocol
Category 2.3 of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol covers emissions from purchased steam used within a company's operational boundaries. These emissions fall under Scope 2 (indirect emissions) and are caused by the provision of steam by external suppliers. The correct recording of these emissions is essential for accurate CO2 accounting.
The official guidance with further details can be accessed here: https://ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/Scope%202%20Guidance.pdf
Important requirements
Source identification: Companies should identify all sites and processes that purchase steam from external suppliers.
Consumption measurement: This can be recorded from invoices, energy management systems or consumption reports.
Emission factors: Companies should use the specific emission factors for the steam supplied or use national averages.
Site-based and market-based reporting: The GHG Protocol distinguishes between site-based (average grid values) and market-based (contractually secured) emission factors.
Reporting period: The recorded consumption should be assigned to a consistent reporting period (e.g. calendar year).
Units: Purchased steam should be documented in megawatt hours (MWh) or gigajoules (GJ).
Recording in NetCero
Follow these steps to record emissions from purchased steam in NetCero:
Create activity: record all relevant consumption sources (e.g. production facilities, heating systems) as separate activities.
Assign responsibility: Designate a person responsible for data collection and maintenance.
Assign recording object: Assign each activity to the correct business unit to ensure clear allocation.
Select emission factors: Users standardized emission factors from the NetCero database, based on the energy source supplied.
Define your own emission factors: Add company-specific factors if accurate Supplier or contract data is available.
Document steam consumption: Record consumption directly in the table within the activity - based on measurements or invoices.
Automatic emission calculation: NetCero calculates the emissions per activity and integrates them into the overall balance.
Examples of emissions from purchased steam
Example 1: Production plant with externally supplied steam
A factory uses 50,000 GJ of purchased steam per year. If the emission factor for this steam is 0.15 kg CO2e/MJ, the emissions amount to
50,000,000 MJ x 0.15 kgCO2e/MJ = 7,500,000 kgCO2e (7,500 tCO2e)
Example 2: Hospital with steam-based heating system
A hospital uses 10,000 MWh of steam per year for heating. If the site-based emission factor for steam is 0.2 kg CO2e/kWh, the emissions amount to
10,000,000 MJ x 0.2 kgCO2e/MJ = 2,000,000 kgCO2e (2,000 tCO2e)
This article has been machine translated. In case of errors, please contact [email protected].