Greenhouse gas emissions from Manufacturing combustion
Manufacturing Combustion sector was responsible for 7.7% of Ireland's total GHG emissions in 2019
Highlights
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Manufacturing Combustion
This section shows emissions from Manufacturing Combustion of fuels in industry. It also includes combustion for combined heat and power for own use in these industries. Emissions from the combustion of fuels in Manufacturing decreased by 2.0% or 0.10 Mt CO2eq in 2019 compared to 2018 emissions. There were small increases in combustion emissions for a number of the sub sectors including non-ferrous metals and chemicals but the larger reductions in the food processing (-8.0%) and cement sub-sector (-3.8%) in 2019, meant an overall 2.0% reduction in the manufacturing and construction industry sector was realised.
The latest projections (July 2020) show that under the With Existing Measures scenario, emissions from manufacturing combustion are projected to increase by 8% between 2021 and 2030 to 6 Mt CO2eq.
Under the With Additional Measures scenario, emissions from manufacturing combustion are projected to decrease by 8% between 2021 and 2030 to 5 Mt CO2eq. This scenario assumes further rollout of energy efficiency programmes such as SEAI Large Industry Programmes, Accelerated Capital Allowances and the Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design (EXEED) programme.
*The Projections for 2020 -2030 in this graph pre-date the methodological changes made to the 1990-2019 Inventory. Care should therefore be taken in comparing historic and future emissions levels.
Manufacturing Combustion emissions and projections 1990-2030*
Greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes
Industrial processes sector was responsible for 3.8% and F-Gases 1.8% of Ireland's total GHG emissions in 2019
Industrial Processes Sector
The Industrial Processes sector estimates greenhouse gas emissions occurring from industrial processes, from the use of greenhouse gases in products, and from non-energy uses of fossil fuel carbon. Emissions from the Industrial Processes sector decreased 1.5% (0.04 Mt CO2eq) in 2019 when compared to 2018. Total process emissions from the mineral products subsector (including cement) decreased by 1.8% in 2019 compared to 2018 emissions.
In 2019, total emissions (combustion1 and process) from the cement sector decreased by 2.0% and amount to 2.85 Mt CO2eq, or 4.75% of national total emissions. Cement sector emissions have increased by 87.3% from 2011 to 2019.
Latest projections figures show emissions from Industrial Processes are projected to increase by 33% between 2021 and 2030 to 3.2 Mt CO2eq2 under the With Existing Measures scenario (this is the only emissions scenario for Industrial Processes, based on available data). The majority of emissions come from cement and lime industries and projections are largely underpinned by projected GDP growth.
Industrial Processes and Product Use is the only sector for which emissions of HFCs, PFCs, SF6 and NF3 (collectively known as fluorinated gases or F-Gases) are reported in air emission inventories. There is no production of fluorinated gases in Ireland, but these substances are used in activities such as Ireland’s electronics industry and for refrigeration and air conditioning (AC). F-Gas emissions were down 7.4% from 2018 to 2019, following a decrease of 13.8% in 2018. This is driven by a reduction in refrigeration and air conditioning emissions. Emissions of F-gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6 and NF3) were 1,074.6 kt CO2 eq in 2019 compared to 34.6 kt CO2 eq in 1990, a 31-fold increase over the time series (see figure 12 below). However, F-gas emissions have risen from a very low base and only accounted for 1.8 per cent of the national total in 2019.
The main reason behind the more recent decreases in F-gas emissions has been the phasing out of refrigerant and AC gases with high global warming potentials (GWPs), due to the implementation of the F-Gas Regulation 517/2014. These refrigerant gases are being replaced with products containing a blend of HFCs and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) with low GWPs in sub category 2.F.1 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.
Fluorinated-Gas (F-Gas) emissions are projected to decrease by 12% to 0.99 Mt CO2eq between 2021 and 2030 under the With Existing Measures scenario. F-Gas emissions are projected to reduce by 25% between 2021 and 2030 to 0.82 Mt CO2eq under the With Additional Measures scenario.
1 Included in Manufacturing Combustion sector
2 This does not include F Gas emissions which have WEM and WAM scenarios discussed seperately
*The Projections for 2020 -2030 in this graph pre-date the methodological changes made to the 1990-2019 Inventory. Care should therefore be taken in comparing historic and future emissions levels.