The bitumen Life Cycle Inventory Frequently Asked Questions

• 1. Why are we observing significant increases in certain impact indicators between the new LCA (4.0, 2025) and the previous LCI (3.1, 2020/2022)?

  The main difference between both LCA results is related to a change in the LCA calculation methodology and background information, particularly the crude oil database used.

  Differences in the results therefore are not related to changes in industrial processes or practices with regard to bitumen production. Physical emissions into the environment due to bitumen production are not higher since the publication of LCA 4.0, but they are accounted for differently.

• 2. Why did Eurobitume change key assumptions of the LCA study between LCA 4.0 and LCI 3.1?

  This change provides an answer to the criticism raised in the external review of the previous LCI:

  the database for crude oil, IOGP, used in the LCI 3.0/3.1 underestimated methane emissions;

  few primary data were used as input.

• 3. How can we explain the significant increase in the Global Warming Potential indicator GWP100 (carbon footprint) between LCA 4.0 and LCI 3.1?

  There are 3 major factors influencing the GWP₁₀₀ indicator increase with all of them related to the change in LCA assumptions:

  The change in crude oil database and crude oil basket. The Managed LCA Content (MLC) 2024.1 database from Sphera used in the LCA 4.0 improves the quality of crude oil modelling, particularly the methane emissions assessment and the geographic accuracy for the crude oil data averaging. The crude basket now refers to a 3-year average (2021-2023) based on primary data for crude oil by country of origin (crude oil database for LCI 3.0/3.1 was from IOGP).

  The modification of the allocation method at refinery level. The LCA 4.0 relies on the energy allocation method based on primary data of 17 refineries in Europe. LCI 3.0/3.1 used the sensible heat method (energy to heat the bitumen fraction from the crude oil to the run-down temperature).

  The change in bitumen storage model at the refinery. The model is now based on primary data.
  More details can be found in section 5 of the “Summary and comparative analysis on the Global Warming Potential (GWP) indicator”.

• 4. Why has the change in crude oil database such an impact on the GWP100 result?

  The crude oil environmental data is now taken from the Sphera’s MLC (Managed LCA Content) database, based on average crude oil per country of origin, whereas the LCI 3.0/3.1 relied on the IOGP database and average crude oil by region or continent.

  The quality of the crude oil modelling is improved in the LCA 4.0 compared to LCI 3.0/3.1, considering the level of detail of crude oil origin averaging, but also the method used to account for venting, flaring and fugitive (VFF) emissions associated with crude oil production. Particularly, the amounts of flared and vented associated gas, and fugitive methane emissions from the equipment used to produce and transport well fluids and crude oil, can be significantly different across countries.

  The data basis for the VFF emissions in the MLC database uses the International Energy Agency (IEA) Global Methane Tracker (2022). The impact on the result is significant as the GWP₁₀₀ of methane is 30 times higher than that of carbon dioxide.

• 5. What LCA 4.0 deliverables are publicly available?

  The deliverables downloadable on the Eurobitume website are:

  The full LCA report including the critical review (external verification). Audience: LCA experts;

  The summary and comparison analysis with LCI 3.1 on the Global Warming Potential indicator. Audience: Stakeholders.

  The LCI dataset in ILCD format (interoperable format) for LCA practitioners is accessible via a request form. It can be used to conduct life cycle assessment studies of products containing bitumen and is compatible with most LCA software.

• 6. Why was the allocation method at the refinery changed between LCA 4.0 and LCI 3.0/3.1?

  The energy allocation method has been chosen in the LCA 4.0 as primary data for the various refinery processes are available.

  LCI 3.0/3.1 relied on the sensible heat method. This method assumes that the fraction of crude oil corresponding to refined bitumen remains in the liquid phase and does not change state, allowing for its enthalpies of vaporisation and condensation to be disregarded. This assumption allows a simplified thermodynamic calculation to estimate the energy required in the production of straight-run bitumen, i.e., the sensible heat required to raise the temperature of the bitumen fraction within the crude oil from the initial crude oil temperature to the final storage temperature of bitumen

  The robustness of the sensible heat method used in LCI 3.0/3.1 is not questioned, but it could be assessed in greater detail in future studies. A sensitivity analysis between both approaches is included in the LCA report.

• 7. How representative is LCA 4.0 of bitumen production in Europe?

  The LCA 4.0 study relates to the production of bitumen and oxidised bitumen on the scope cradle-to-gate. It covers the bitumen produced by refineries operated within Eurobitume membership. The study has been conducted on the basis of  data collected from 17 refineries in Europe, representing more than 75 % of the bitumen production of Eurobitume members. It can be considered as being representative of a collective dataset in the construction sector.

  The LCA 4.0 does not cover the polymer modified bitumen (PmB) production. A specific additional study might be launched for PmB.

• 8. Why are we talking about a “LCA” for the new study (LCA 4.0) while we used the term “LCI” for the LCI 3.0/3.1?

  The LCA 4.0 study includes a LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) and a LCIA (Life Cycle Impact Assessment). For this reason, the term “LCA” has been preferred.

  The impact indicators of the LCIA are aligned with the reference standard for construction products in Europe (EN 15804+A2).