Ferro-nickel

1. Scope and Applicability

This PCR applies to the foreground production of commercial ferro-nickel delivered at the producing plant gate as ingots, pieces, shot, or granules for iron and steelmaking or foundry use. It covers primary lateritic-ore routes, including rotary-kiln/electric-furnace (RKEF) production, and secondary nickel-bearing-residue routes only when the output is a marketable ferro-nickel alloy meeting the product identity below.

The foreground system begins with nickel-bearing feed, reductants, fluxes, energy carriers, and auxiliary materials received at the production site. Supplier-side extraction, beneficiation, energy generation, and material production are represented by upstream datasets unless they are operated inside the reporting facility and explicitly modelled as foreground processes. The system ends with finished ferro-nickel at the plant gate and includes feed preparation, thermal pretreatment where applicable, electric smelting, refining, casting or granulation, direct emissions, water use, wastewater, slag, dust, and internal recycle loops.

This PCR does not cover refined nickel, nickel matte, nickel oxide sinter, generic nickel alloys classified outside CPC 41114, steel or foundry products made from ferro-nickel, slag or dust sold without qualifying as ferro-nickel, or nickel-containing discharges and wastes. Nickel pig iron marketed and specified separately from ferro-nickel is outside the present candidate scope pending methodology review.

2. Product Category Identity

Field	Value
canonical_pcr_id	pcr.metal-products-machinery-and-equipment.basic-metals.ferro-nickel
classification_refs	CPC 3.0 41114 Ferro-nickel (exact)
covered_products	Marketable ferro-nickel alloy in ingot, piece, shot, or granulated form, with declared chemical composition and production route
excluded_products	Refined nickel; nickel matte; nickel oxide sinter; generic nickel alloys; separately marketed nickel pig iron; downstream steel/foundry products; slag, dust, wastewater, and nickel-bearing wastes
representative_product	Primary-route ferro-nickel produced from lateritic nickel ore by feed preparation, rotary-kiln pretreatment, electric-furnace smelting, refining, and casting or granulation
production_route	Primary laterite RKEF; eligible secondary nickel-bearing-residue pretreatment and electric smelting; route must be declared
market_state	Finished alloy at producing plant gate, as-delivered mass and declared composition

3. Reference Flow

Field	Value
What	Ferro-nickel alloy classified as CPC 3.0 41114
How much	1,000 kg as-delivered ferro-nickel at the producing plant gate
How well	Declared nickel mass fraction, iron balance and specified impurities; declared product form; representative of the stated route, facility, geography, and reference period
How long or cycle	One production campaign or commercial lot, aggregated over a representative reporting period
reference_flow_link	TianGong product flow 0e9b30a3-8769-480e-a8ff-e7f1aa3f752f (Ferronickel / 镍铁; product flow; CPC 41114; state code 100)

Field	Value
Reference amount	1000 kg
Reference product flow	Ferronickel / 镍铁 0e9b30a3-8769-480e-a8ff-e7f1aa3f752f
Reference flow property	Mass — 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66
Reference unit group	Units of mass — 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
Reference unit	kg
Required qualifiers	Nickel mass fraction and analytical basis; declared impurities or specification; product form; primary or secondary production route; nickel-bearing feed type and recycled-feed share; wet/dry/as-delivered mass basis; facility and geography; reference period; allocation choices; residue and recycle fate; plant-gate location

When constructing a foreground data package, the items listed in Required qualifiers must be declared in dataset metadata, process notes, reference flow comment, product description, or an equivalent data package field. Missing required qualifiers make the reference flow definition incomplete for that data package.

4. Measurement and Unit Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Required property	Required unit	Rule
measure_reference_product	Finished ferro-nickel	Mass	kg	Determine calibrated as-delivered mass at the declared gate; normalize the accepted lot or campaign total to 1,000 kg.
measure_feed_mass	Nickel-bearing feeds, reductants, fluxes, electrodes, auxiliaries, slags, dusts, and wastes	Mass	kg	Record wet mass and, where moisture is material, dry mass and moisture fraction; retain conversion records.
measure_composition	Ferro-nickel and nickel-bearing feeds	Mass fraction	kg/kg or % by mass	Use representative lot sampling and chemical analysis; state whether results are wet, dry, or as-delivered.
measure_electricity	Purchased and self-generated electricity	Energy	kWh	Meter by process or allocate from a reconciled site meter using the allocation rules in Section 7.
measure_fuels	Fuels and reductants with energy content	Mass and net calorific value	kg and MJ/kg	Record mass by carrier and use supplier- or batch-specific net calorific value where combustion energy is calculated.
measure_water	Intake, recirculated water, and discharge	Volume or mass	m3 or kg	Keep intake, internal recirculation, evaporation, and discharge separate; do not count recirculated water as repeated external input.
measure_direct_emissions	Stack, fugitive air, water, and soil releases	Pollutant mass	kg	Prefer calibrated continuous monitoring or representative tests; reconcile calculated emissions with activity data and abatement operation.

5. System Boundary

Boundary Abstraction

Field	Value
declared_starting_condition	Nickel-bearing ore, concentrate, calcine, residue, or other eligible feed received at the reporting facility, together with purchased energy, reductants, fluxes, electrodes, oxygen, water, and auxiliaries
starting_condition_role	Upstream product inputs to the ferro-nickel foreground system
product_classification_scope	Output must remain a marketable CPC 3.0 41114 ferro-nickel alloy
recursive_input_rule	Ferro-nickel used as an input is recorded as a visible product input and linked to an upstream dataset; do not recursively expand another ferro-nickel production system inside the same foreground package
upstream_dataset_requirement	Provide geographically and technologically appropriate upstream datasets for every purchased feed, energy carrier, material, water supply, and transport service crossing the boundary
disclosure	Declare route, integrated upstream operations, exclusions, cut-offs, internal recycle loops, residue fate, allocation, geography, and reference period

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
boundary_starting_condition	All datasets	Begin at site receipt of nickel-bearing feed and other purchased inputs; include on-site extraction or beneficiation only when operated by the reporting organization and explicitly declared.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
boundary_unit_processes	Foreground system	Include feed preparation, applicable thermal pretreatment, electric smelting, refining, finishing, abatement, utilities, and internal material handling.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
boundary_upstream	Purchased inputs	Link each purchased input and transport service to an upstream dataset; omission requires documented materiality evidence and must not conceal hazardous or toxic releases.	eu-pef-method-2021
boundary_emissions_residues	All foreground processes	Include direct stack and fugitive emissions, wastewater, slag, dust, spent refractories, and other residues; state whether each residue is recycled, recovered, sold, treated, or disposed.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
boundary_transport	Inbound and internal transport	Include material inbound transport and material internal transport where separately metered or material; disclose excluded minor transport.	bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015

6. Process Inventory Structure

Process Map

process_id	process_name	inclusion	inclusion_condition	role	quantitative_reference
feed_preparation	Feed receipt and preparation	required	All routes	Receive, sample, dry or condition, blend, and prepare nickel-bearing feed and recycle materials	Prepared feed sent to the next route step
thermal_pretreatment	Kiln or equivalent thermal pretreatment	conditional	Primary laterite RKEF and secondary routes using roasting or calcination	Dry, dehydrate, calcine, pre-reduce, or decontaminate feed before smelting	Prepared calcine or thermally treated feed
electric_smelting	Electric-furnace reduction and smelting	required	All covered routes	Reduce and melt feed, separate crude alloy from slag, and capture furnace off-gas solids	Crude ferro-nickel sent to refining
refining_finishing	Refining, casting, and granulation	required	All covered routes	Adjust composition, remove impurities, cast or granulate, cool, sample, and dispatch	1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel at plant gate

Process: Feed receipt and preparation (feed_preparation)

Inputs

Product flows

Nickel-bearing feed (nickel_bearing_feed)

Record each ore, concentrate, calcine, residue, or recycled nickel-bearing feed separately. Measure receipt mass, moisture, nickel content, origin, and waste/product status.

• Selected flow: Select the semantically matching TianGong product or waste flow for each feed; no feed UUID is prescribed by this candidate PCR.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg; composition as kg/kg or % by mass
• Amount rule: Collected receipt mass corrected to the declared wet or dry basis and normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_feed_receipt
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Primary laterite feed screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 10000
  • Upper: 40000
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel; primary laterite route only
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Feed-preparation energy and auxiliaries (feed_preparation_energy_auxiliaries)

Record electricity, thermal fuels, binders, water, and other preparation auxiliaries as separate carrier- or material-specific exchanges.

• Selected flow: Select a route-, geography-, and carrier-specific TianGong flow for every material or energy input.
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh or MJ; mass / kg; water / m3
• Amount rule: Metered or purchase-reconciled amount for feed preparation, normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_materials
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Outputs

Product flows

Prepared nickel-bearing feed (prepared_feed)

Record the mass, moisture, and nickel content transferred to thermal pretreatment or directly to electric smelting.

• Selected flow: Internal product flow defined by the foreground model.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed or mass-balance-derived transfer amount.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_feed_receipt
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

Preparation rejects and captured solids (feed_preparation_rejects)

Record rejects, spilled material, and captured dust by destination; subtract only material demonstrably returned inside the same accounting period through the internal-recycle rule.

• Selected flow: Select destination-specific waste or recovered-product flows; keep hazardous status explicit.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed removal plus stock-change reconciliation, normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_residue_fate
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Elementary flows

Direct preparation emissions (feed_preparation_emissions)

Record measured or calculated particulate and other direct releases from drying, handling, and storage after abatement; do not substitute captured dust for emitted particulate.

• Selected flow: Select pollutant- and compartment-specific TianGong elementary flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Monitoring result or emission calculation for the reporting period, normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_air_emissions
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Process: Kiln or equivalent thermal pretreatment (thermal_pretreatment)

Inputs

Product flows

Prepared feed to pretreatment (pretreatment_feed)

Record prepared feed entering the kiln, roaster, dryer, or equivalent unit, including internally recycled pelletized dust.

• Selected flow: Internal prepared-feed flow defined by the foreground model.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed transfer or reconciled mass balance.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_thermal_pretreatment
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Pretreatment fuels and reductants (pretreatment_fuels_reductants)

Record each coal, coke, fuel, reductant, electricity, and binder input separately; distinguish fuel use from material carbon retained in intermediates.

• Selected flow: Select carrier- and geography-specific TianGong product flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg; energy / MJ or kWh
• Amount rule: Metered, weighed, or purchase-reconciled amount normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_materials
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Combined carbonaceous material screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 500
  • Upper: 8000
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel; all carbonaceous fuels and reductants combined
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Outputs

Product flows

Calcine or thermally treated feed (treated_feed)

Record mass, moisture, and where available degree of calcination or pre-reduction at transfer to smelting.

• Selected flow: Internal intermediate product flow defined by the foreground model.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed transfer or reconciled dry-mass balance.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_thermal_pretreatment
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

Captured pretreatment dust (captured_pretreatment_dust)

Record captured dust before recycle, recovery, or disposal and state its final fate.

• Selected flow: Select destination-specific waste or recovered-product flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed collection plus stock-change reconciliation, reported gross and net of documented internal return.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_residue_fate
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Captured pretreatment dust screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 0
  • Upper: 3000
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel before internal recycle
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Elementary flows

Direct pretreatment emissions (pretreatment_emissions)

Record pollutant-specific stack and fugitive releases, including particulate, nickel-bearing particulate, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and greenhouse gases where applicable.

• Selected flow: Select pollutant- and compartment-specific TianGong elementary flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Monitoring or source-specific calculation after abatement, normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_air_emissions
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Process: Electric-furnace reduction and smelting (electric_smelting)

Inputs

Product flows

Smelting feed (smelting_feed)

Record treated primary feed or eligible secondary feed entering each electric furnace, with mass and composition.

• Selected flow: Internal intermediate flow defined by the foreground model.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed transfer or reconciled mass balance.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_electric_smelting
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Smelting electricity (smelting_electricity)

Record furnace and directly attributable auxiliary electricity using the geographically appropriate supply mix.

• Selected flow: Select a geography- and voltage-specific TianGong electricity product flow.
• Flow property / unit: Energy / kWh
• Amount rule: Metered furnace electricity plus attributable auxiliaries, normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_materials
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Smelting and refining electricity screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 5000
  • Upper: 20000
  • Unit: kWh
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel; disclose included auxiliaries
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Smelting reductants, electrodes, and fluxes (smelting_materials)

Record every reductant, consumable electrode, flux, and refractory addition separately by material identity.

• Selected flow: Select material-specific TianGong product flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed issue or stock-reconciled consumption normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_energy_materials
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Consumable carbon electrode screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 20
  • Upper: 100
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel; consumable electrodes only
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Outputs

Product flows

Crude ferro-nickel (crude_ferronickel)

Record tapped crude alloy mass and nickel composition before refining.

• Selected flow: Internal crude-alloy product flow defined by the foreground model.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed or calculated from tap mass and representative composition.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_electric_smelting
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Waste flows

Electric-furnace slag and captured dust (smelting_residues)

Record slag and captured dust as separate flows with composition and final fate; do not classify them as co-products solely because they leave the site.

• Selected flow: Select residue- and destination-specific waste or recovered-product flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Weighed or volume-and-density-derived mass, reconciled with stocks and internal recycle.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_residue_fate
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Electric-furnace slag screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 10000
  • Upper: 30000
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel; slag before external recovery or disposal
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Elementary flows

Direct smelting emissions (smelting_emissions)

Record pollutant-specific stack and fugitive releases after abatement, including metal-bearing particulate, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, and greenhouse gases where applicable.

• Selected flow: Select pollutant- and compartment-specific TianGong elementary flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Monitoring result or source-specific mass-balance calculation normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_air_emissions
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Process: Refining, casting, and granulation (refining_finishing)

Inputs

Product flows

Crude alloy and refining auxiliaries (refining_inputs)

Record crude ferro-nickel, oxygen, fluxes, energy carriers, water, and other refining or finishing materials as separate exchanges.

• Selected flow: Use the internal crude-alloy flow and select material-, energy-, and geography-specific TianGong flows for purchased inputs.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg; energy / kWh or MJ; water / m3
• Amount rule: Metered, weighed, or stock-reconciled amounts normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_refining_finishing
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

Outputs

Product flows

Finished ferro-nickel (finished_ferronickel)

Normalize the accepted, sampled commercial product to the reference amount and retain the unnormalized production total in the foreground records.

• Selected flow: Ferronickel / 镍铁 0e9b30a3-8769-480e-a8ff-e7f1aa3f752f
• Flow property / unit: Mass — 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66 / kg — unit group 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66
• Amount rule: Set to 1,000 kg after normalization of the accepted plant-gate product total.
• Value mode: Fixed value (fixed_value)
• Specificity: Generic (generic)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Method formula (method_formula)
• Sources: eu-pef-method-2021; iso-6501-2020

Waste flows

Refining slag, dust, wastewater, and spent materials (refining_residues)

Record each residue separately with composition, waste status, treatment, recovery, and final destination.

• Selected flow: Select residue-, treatment-, and destination-specific TianGong waste or recovered-product flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg; wastewater / m3 or kg
• Amount rule: Weighed, metered, or reconciled amount normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Foreground record (foreground_record)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Collected record (collected_record)
• Collection protocol: cp_residue_fate
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
• Range: Refining slag and captured dust screening range
  • Range role: QA guardrail (qa_guardrail)
  • Lower: 0
  • Upper: 3000
  • Unit: kg
  • Basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel before external recovery or disposal
  • Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
  • Evidence kind: Reasoned estimate (reasoned_estimate)

Elementary flows

Direct refining and finishing emissions (refining_emissions)

Record pollutant-specific air and water releases from refining, casting, granulation, cooling, and abatement after subtracting captured material.

• Selected flow: Select pollutant- and compartment-specific TianGong elementary flows.
• Flow property / unit: Mass / kg
• Amount rule: Monitoring result, wastewater analysis, or source-specific calculation normalized to the reference flow.
• Value mode: Calculated value (calculated_value)
• Specificity: Site-specific (site_specific)
• Normalization basis: 1,000 kg finished ferro-nickel
• Basis kind: Reference flow (reference_flow)
• Evidence kind: Calculated from collection (calculated_from_collection)
• Collection protocol: cp_air_water_emissions
• Sources: ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017

7. Allocation and Co-product Handling

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
allocation_subdivide	Shared operations and utilities	First avoid allocation by subdividing meters, production campaigns, furnaces, and treatment lines or by expanding the system where a defensible substituted function is demonstrated.	eu-pef-method-2021
allocation_physical	Unavoidable shared burdens	If subdivision or system expansion is not feasible, allocate using a documented physical causal relationship such as separately measured energy demand, dry feed mass, or nickel mass throughput; justify the chosen driver.	eu-pef-method-2021
allocation_other	No defensible physical relationship	Use another documented relationship, such as economic value, only after showing why physical causality is unavailable; disclose prices, averaging period, and sensitivity.	eu-pef-method-2021
allocation_recycled_dust	Internal dust, slag, and metal recycle	Treat material returned within the same foreground system and accounting period as an internal loop: report gross generation and return, but do not create an external avoided-product credit.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
allocation_waste_status	Slag, dust, residues, and secondary feed	Determine waste versus product status from the applicable jurisdiction and actual transaction. A residue leaving the site does not become a co-product without a demonstrated function, market, and quality specification; record treatment burdens consistently.	eu-pef-method-2021; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015

8. Foreground Data Collection, Calculation, and Quality Rules

Data Collection Protocols

protocol_id	process_id	flow_role	record_type	raw_fields	collection_method	unit	frequency	temporal_coverage	site_scope	aggregation_rule	quality_evidence
cp_feed_receipt	feed_preparation	Nickel-bearing feeds and prepared feed	Weighbridge, sampler, laboratory, stock ledger	Gross/net mass; moisture; Ni, Fe and impurity content; origin; waste status; stock change	Calibrated weighing plus representative lot sampling and chemical analysis	kg; % mass	Each lot, aggregated monthly	At least 12 consecutive representative months unless campaign production is justified	All production lines in declared facility scope	Mass-weight composition and reconcile opening/closing stocks	Calibration certificates, sampling plan, laboratory QA/QC, stock reconciliation
cp_energy_materials	All applicable processes	Electricity, fuels, reductants, electrodes, fluxes, auxiliaries	Meters, invoices, issue records, stock ledger	Quantity; carrier/material identity; meter; calorific value; stock change	Process meter where available; otherwise reconciled allocation from site total	kWh; MJ; kg; m3	Continuous or each issue, aggregated monthly	Same period as production denominator	Declared production lines plus attributable utilities	Sum by carrier and subtract documented non-production use	Meter calibration, invoice reconciliation, allocation worksheet
cp_thermal_pretreatment	thermal_pretreatment	Feed, calcine, dust, energy, operating state	Belt scales, batch logs, laboratory, control system	Input/output mass; moisture; temperature; composition; operating hours	Metered transfer and reconciled dry-mass balance	kg; °C; h	Each batch or continuous shift record	Same period as production denominator	Every included kiln, roaster, or dryer	Aggregate by unit and route; retain outages and bypasses	Instrument calibration, lab results, mass-balance closure
cp_electric_smelting	electric_smelting	Furnace feed, electricity, crude alloy, slag	Furnace meters, tap records, laboratory, stock ledger	Feed mass/composition; kWh; tap mass/composition; slag mass; operating hours	Metered electricity, weighed or calculated taps, representative sampling	kg; kWh; % mass	Each heat or shift	Same period as production denominator	Every included electric furnace	Aggregate by furnace and route; reconcile Ni and dry mass	Meter calibration, heat logs, laboratory QA/QC, balance closure
cp_refining_finishing	refining_finishing	Crude alloy, auxiliaries, finished product	Heat/lot logs, scales, laboratory, utility meters	Input/output mass; Ni and impurities; product form; rejected product; energy/water	Calibrated weighing, representative lot sampling, and direct metering	kg; % mass; kWh; m3	Each heat or lot	Same period as production denominator	All included refining and finishing lines	Aggregate accepted product only; track rejects and rework separately	Sampling certificates, calibration, product specification, production reconciliation
cp_air_emissions	feed_preparation; thermal_pretreatment; electric_smelting	Direct stack and fugitive air emissions	CEMS, stack tests, abatement logs, activity data	Pollutant concentration; gas flow; operating time; capture efficiency; bypass events	Continuous monitoring or representative testing; calculation only with source-specific factors	kg; mg/Nm3; Nm3/h	Continuous or permit-compliant tests	Representative of reporting period and operating states	Every material emission point and disclosed fugitive source	Integrate concentration and flow; include starts, stops, and bypasses	Calibration, accredited test reports, detection limits, uncertainty, abatement uptime
cp_air_water_emissions	refining_finishing	Direct air and water releases	CEMS/tests, wastewater meter and analysis, abatement logs	Pollutant concentration; flow; operating time; discharge volume	Monitoring and pollutant-specific mass calculation	kg; mg/Nm3; mg/L; m3	Continuous or permit-compliant tests	Representative of reporting period	All refining, casting, granulation, and wastewater outlets	Integrate concentration and flow; keep air and water compartments separate	Calibration, laboratory QA/QC, detection limits, uncertainty
cp_residue_fate	All applicable processes	Slag, dust, rejects, wastewater solids, spent materials	Scales, manifests, invoices, stock ledger	Gross generation; internal return; external shipment; composition; destination; legal status	Weighing or validated volume-density conversion plus stock reconciliation	kg; m3	Each movement, aggregated monthly	Same period as production denominator	Entire declared facility	Report gross, internal return, external recovery, treatment, and disposal separately	Weigh tickets, manifests, receiver evidence, stock balance, classification records

Calculation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Formula or rule	Inputs	Output	source_ids
calculate_normalization	All inventory exchanges	normalized exchange = period exchange × 1000 / accepted ferro-nickel mass (kg)	Period exchange; accepted plant-gate ferro-nickel mass	Exchange per 1,000 kg reference flow	eu-pef-method-2021
calculate_dry_mass	Moist feeds and residues	dry mass = wet mass × (1 - moisture mass fraction); preserve wet mass and measured moisture	Wet mass; moisture fraction	Dry mass and declared basis	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
calculate_nickel_balance	Whole foreground system and major unit processes	Reconcile nickel in feed, products, dusts, slags, stocks, wastewater, and measured releases; investigate unexplained imbalance before acceptance	Mass and nickel fraction of all relevant streams; stock changes	Nickel balance and closure ratio	bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
calculate_monitored_emission	Direct emissions	pollutant mass = time-integral(concentration × standardized flow) with unit, moisture, oxygen, and reference-condition corrections documented	Concentration, gas or water flow, operating time, correction factors	Pollutant mass by compartment	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
calculate_internal_recycle	Dust, slag, alloy, and preparation recycle	Record gross generation and gross return; external waste or product output equals gross generation plus opening stock minus internal return minus closing stock, adjusted for verified transfers	Generation, return, stock changes, transfers	Net external residue plus visible internal loop	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
calculate_shared_burdens	Shared utilities and treatment	Apply Section 7 hierarchy and document the selected causal driver or economic relation; allocation shares must sum to one	Shared burden; production measures; allocation driver	Burden attributed to ferro-nickel	eu-pef-method-2021

Data Quality Requirements

requirement_id	Applies to	Requirement	Evidence
dq_technology	All foreground records	Data shall represent the declared primary or secondary route, furnace technology, abatement, and product form; do not combine materially different routes without separate weighting.	Process description, route share, equipment list, operating logs
dq_geography	Energy, transport, upstream materials, and direct emissions	Use site-specific foreground data and geographically appropriate upstream datasets; disclose proxies and grid-region mismatch.	Facility location, supplier origin, dataset geography, proxy register
dq_time	All records	Use a common representative period, normally at least 12 consecutive months; justify shorter campaigns and identify abnormal shutdowns or start-ups.	Reporting dates, production log, representativeness statement
dq_precision	Measured and calculated quantities	Retain calibration, sampling uncertainty, detection limits, missing-data treatment, and mass/energy balance closure; material unresolved imbalance fails validation.	QA/QC files, uncertainty records, balance worksheets
dq_completeness	All foreground processes	Account for all material feeds, energy carriers, direct releases, slags, dusts, wastewater, and hazardous flows; any omission must be quantified and justified.	Completeness checklist, site reconciliation, exclusion log
dq_source_identity	Linked upstream data	Record dataset UUID or durable identifier, version used in the data package, provider, geography, technology, and access date.	Data-source register and exchange links

9. Validation Rules

rule_id	Applies to	Rule	source_ids
validate_identity	Reference product	Confirm CPC 3.0 41114, product name, product form, plant-gate state, and reference-flow UUID; reject refined nickel, matte, generic alloy, or waste-flow substitution.	iso-6501-2020
validate_reference_amount	Reference flow	Confirm exactly 1,000 kg after normalization, using mass property 93a60a56-a3c8-11da-a746-0800200b9a66, mass unit group 93a60a57-a4c8-11da-a746-0800200c9a66, and unit kg.	eu-pef-method-2021
validate_composition	Product and nickel-bearing feeds	Require representative sampling, declared analytical basis, nickel content, specified impurities, and lot/campaign linkage; composition without sampling evidence is incomplete.	iso-8049-2016; iso-8050-1988
validate_route_boundary	Dataset scope	Confirm route declaration and inclusion of every applicable required/conditional process, abatement, direct releases, residues, and linked upstream inputs.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017
validate_inventory_balance	Foreground inventory	Reconcile product mass, dry mass, nickel, energy, stocks, and internal recycle; investigate material unexplained imbalance and values outside screening ranges rather than clipping them.	bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015
validate_allocation	Shared operations and outputs	Confirm the allocation hierarchy was followed, shares sum to one, internal loops receive no avoided-product credit, and waste/co-product status is supported.	eu-pef-method-2021
validate_data_quality	All evidence	Confirm technological, geographical, temporal, precision, completeness, and source-identity evidence; disclose proxy and uncertainty limitations.	eu-pef-method-2021
validate_reasoned_ranges	Candidate QA guardrails	Treat reasoned-estimate ranges only as review triggers; require explanation and source-specific evidence for outliers, and never replace collected values with the range limits.	ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017; bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015

10. Published Dataset Profile

Field	Value
dataset_role	Foreground data package for finished ferro-nickel production at plant gate
downstream_use	Construction of TianGong process datasets and lifecyclemodel projections for cradle-to-gate alloy supply
allowed_use	Route- and site-representative ferro-nickel inventories with declared composition, geography, period, upstream links, allocation, and residue fate
excluded_use	Refined nickel, nickel matte, nickel pig iron marketed separately, generic nickel alloys, downstream steel products, or substitution of candidate screening ranges for measured data
required_metadata	PCR id; CPC code; reference-flow UUID; nickel content and analytical basis; product form; route; feed type and recycled share; facility/geography; period; allocation; gate; upstream dataset identities
required_quality_disclosure	Sampling and calibration evidence; direct-emission method; mass, nickel, and energy balance closure; exclusions; proxies; uncertainty; screening-range exceptions; waste/co-product decisions
update_trigger	Change in product specification, route, furnace or abatement technology, feed mix, allocation, facility geography, or a material inventory parameter; otherwise review at least annually

11. Data Sources

source_id	Type	Reference	Used for
ec-jrc-nfm-bref-2017	official_guidance	Cusano, G. et al. (2017), Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Non-Ferrous Metals Industries, EUR 28648 EN, European Commission Joint Research Centre; https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC107041; DOI: 10.2760/8224	Primary and secondary ferro-nickel process sequence, inputs, emissions, abatement, dust recycle, and site benchmark context
iso-6501-2020	standard	ISO 6501:2020, Ferronickel — Specification and delivery requirements; https://www.iso.org/standard/77250.html	Product forms, commercial identity, specification, and delivery context
iso-8049-2016	standard	ISO 8049:2016, Ferronickel shot — Sampling for analysis; https://www.iso.org/standard/65091.html	Representative sampling of shot lots for chemical analysis
iso-8050-1988	standard	ISO 8050:1988, Ferronickel ingots or pieces — Sampling for analysis; https://www.iso.org/standard/15065.html	Representative sampling of ingots and pieces for chemical composition
eu-pef-method-2021	official_guidance	European Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods; http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2021/2279/oj	Reference-flow normalization, allocation hierarchy, completeness, and data-quality dimensions
bartzas-komnitsas-ferronickel-lca-2015	literature	Bartzas, G. and Komnitsas, K. (2015), “Life cycle assessment of ferronickel production in Greece,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 105, 113–122; DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.10.016; https://sln.eramet.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/09/40_LIF1.pdf	Cradle-to-gate foreground structure, mass and energy balances, primary-route site data, slag/dust handling, and data-quality evidence