The low-carbon assessment method for infrastructure construction, jointly developed by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), aims to harmonise the assessment of the climate impacts of infrastructure construction. The first version of the guideline (published in 2023) was prepared especially for planning purposes, but the long-term goal is to make the assessment of low-carbon solutions an integral part of all stages of an infrastructure project, as well for route-related maintenance.
“We’ve taken a key step towards this goal now that the decision has been made to include the low-carbon assessment in the implementation stage of our projects. In the first phase, the assessment will apply to budding implementation projects that include a project appraisal. During the implementation phase, the low-carbon assessment can also be used to verify the emission reductions that have been achieved thanks to the solutions made in the planning stage,” summarises Paula Kajava, Environmental Specialist in Infrastructure Construction at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
Low-carbon materials reduce emissions
But how can we concretely mitigate construction-related emissions in an infrastructure project? The materials we choose are particularly crucial for this process.
“Materials play a major role in construction-phase emissions. New, low-carbon products are increasingly entering the market, and hopefully they will also be cost-effective. In addition, construction-related work performances, such as how efficiently we can transfers masses and over what distances, have a real impact on construction emissions,” Kajava explains.
The use of first-phase emissions calculations was piloted in the Main Road 6 at Koria project, which included a low-carbon assessment as part of its construction process. This pilot project is an example of how most emissions in construction are generated by the materials used in it, with reinforced concrete piles, pillar stabilisation binder, and pile slab concrete representing its most significant emission sources. Together, these account for 68% of the project’s material emissions and nearly half of the project’s total emissions.
Read more about the Main Road 6 at Koria pilot project (page available in Finnish).
Emissions and costs go hand in hand
The emissions calculation process makes use of the emissions database for infrastructure construction (InfraCO2), which contains the average emissions data of the most common and typical products and materials used in infrastructure construction. The data in the emissions database is also available in Ihku, the cost accounting system for infrastructure projects.
In practice, emission calculations are typically carried out in connection with a project’s cost calculations, and these two factors are also linked in other respects.
“Emissions and costs often go hand in hand. A low-carbon solution may also present an opportunity for cost savings,” Kajava explains.
The work machines used in today’s infrastructure sites are usually machine-operated, making it easy to log their operating hours. When this data is combined with data from the emissions database, it becomes possible to calculate the emissions generated by different construction site activities.
The purpose of low-carbon assessments is to create a standard and operating method that can be applied to the entire infrastructure sector, covering the different stages of an infrastructure project. In the future, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency aims to integrate its emissions targets into its calls for tenders as well.
“Our service providers have thanked us for setting our sights towards a low-carbon future. This is our way of showing that we are willing and able to develop our operations and reduce our emissions,” Kajava concludes.