Carbon inventory study of an automobile manufacturing plant

The aim of this thesis is to prepare a carbon inventory of an automobile manufacturing plant. The most popular subjects of recent years are GHG (green house gas) emissions, climate change and global warming which are the reasons of create a carbon inventory. Global warming is a threat against to the all living creatures. The reason of this threat is fossile fuels. And the usage of this fossile fuels has been increased especially after industrial revolution. The fossile fuel usage is the not only reason of global warmig and climate change, but also consuming of natural resources, population increase, unplanned urbanisation, deforestation. Those activities are increasing the GHGs volume in the atmosphere which are CO2-CH4-N2O-O3-CFCs-H2O. Climate change is the result of gobal warming. Every each country has been aware of this threat since in the begining of 20th century and they would like to make set against to this increment. They have some precaution against the raising of this GHGs. But in the end of 20th century was those precautions have been increased extraordinarily. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol are in the center of those precautions. GHG prevention actions have been mentioned in this thesis's first section which are created by Kyoto Protocol and UNFCCC. Some actions and politics have been analyzed in the World and in Turkey. Energy management methods have been reviewed. In 2005 Kyoto Protocol has become valid and a lot of GHG prevention actions have been launched. Kyoto brings not only some legislative regulations, but also some emission trading mechanisms, technology sharing systems and capital movements. After Turkey has sign Kyoto protocol we have some responsibilities against this protocol. Kyoto Protocol has some flexibility mechanisms which are Joint Implementation, Clean Development Mechanism, Emission Trading Systems. Those mechanisms have been mentioned in the study. ISO 14064 series has been analyzed which is an important part of the GHG prevention actions. ISO 14064 series have been created to make a carbon inventory and control this inventory study. Carbon inventory is very critical to sustain the Kyoto Protocole GHG prevention actions. ISO 14064 also has been compared with other inventory methodologies. ISO 14064 standartd is recognized all over the world which is precondition of all Kyoto Procole flexibility mechanisms. Also all emission treading mechanisms use this ISO 14064 standard. In the next section of the thesis EU ETS (European Emission Treading System) has been reviewed. EU ETS is the first intergovermental and intersectoral emission trading system which is approved by European Comission. The aim of this ETS is decrease the GHG emissions in EU. This system provides selling emission rights, which has not been used, to another organsation in the EU ETS. Guidelines and user manuels of some EU countries have been reviewed which are published for EU ETS. All of the guides and manuels are based on ISO 14064. Each and every goverment or establishment have to create their inventory and this inventory needs to be controlled and approved by indipendent auditor. After this audit those emissions can be sold. EU aims to decrease the GHG emissions by 21% untill 2020. GHG reduction regulations in Turkey are also based on this ISO 14064 standard and aligned with EU ETS. Latest legislation in Turkey is about GHG emission tracking system of establishments. This legislation brings an obligation to the establisments to create their carbon inventory and share this carbon inventories with the government. It is thought that this thesis will make a good contribution, after the technical litreture review. There are not so many studies on this inventory subject and the studies are new. There are no emission reduction suggestions after the inventory study in the technical literature. After the literature review, ISO 14064 standard has been analyzed detaily. And the method of carbon inventory has been reviewed. The sections of the carbon inventory have been studied. The application section of the thesis has been dealed with the carbon inventory of an automobile manufacturing plant. Before to start the inventory study energy profile of the plant defined. And energy consumption according to the years have been mentioned. First of all boundary conditions of the establishment has been defined. All the GHG sources have been identified in the plant. Then this GHGs have been classified in different categories. After this identification and classification all GHG emission have been calculated. Calculation methods have been told in this section of the thesis. Inventory tables have been created after those calculations. Tables provide and show all the GHG amounts of all activities in the plant and those activities have been identified detaily. Also breakdown of those activities according to the location of the plant have shown. The aim of this to point out the critical location and activity in the plant in terms of carbon emissions and suggest emission reduction actions. Regulations, opportunities have been discussed in the study as well. Establishment has some obligations against to the government, and those obligations have been analysed. This study will be very helpfull to the establishment to fulfill the regulations. There is a new regulation which will be valid after 2016 in Turkey. Government is releasing new regulations in order to prevent green house gas increase in the atmosphere. And our establishment will enter into obligation due to its high energy capacity. Also emission trade systems use the same inventory format in order to provide standardisation. The establishment also will be capable to enter those emission trading systems. EU ETS one of those emission trading systems. This theses will stay in very good position, when we reviewed the literature. Inventory studies are very old in the literature and non of them propose emission reduction methods. Inventory study provides us, which section of the establisment produces highest emissions. Thus, inventory can point out which department needs to decrease its emissons and which department needs to apply some energy efficiciency applications. This kind of inventory studies need to be verified by certification organisations. After verification process company will be ready of international or national regulations related with GHG reduction. Also this invetory studies are provide company a good impression in the international trade and investment area.