Pembina Corporate Consulting

Selected Experience with Life Cycle Value Assessment (LCVA)

The Natural Gas Industry: Time to Respect Earth's Ecosystems (TREE) and Resource Conservation Manitoba (RCM)

Pembina Corporate Consulting has developed the Life Cycle Value Assessment — a unique, practical and multidisciplinary systems-analysis methodology for business decisions and design. It involves a series of techniques and tools to help decision-makers elicit more complete financial, environmental and social information about the impact of any project, product, or service.

For this project, Pembina Corporate Consulting analyzed the life cycle of conventional natural gas supply in Manitoba, including providing a qualitative description of side effects or negative consequences. Selected externalities, namely greenhouse gas emissions and land changes, were quantified in both physical and monetary units. Finally, the project produced a summary of a range of costs ($/GJ) that reflect, to a limited extent, the true costs of natural gas.

Solution Gas Modelling Tool: Suncor

Pembina Corporate Consulting developed a detailed MS Excel modeling tool for Suncor to use in decision-making with respect to solution gas management options for its conventional oil operations (now divested). This tool included detailed cost and environmental information for three management options: Flare, pipeline tie-in and power generation from a micro-turbine.

Greenhouse Gases and Land Change Related to Selected Power Generation Options in Manitoba: Manitoba Hydro

Seven prominent electricity supply options for the province of Manitoba have been compared on the basis of life-cycle GHG emissions and land change per gigawatt hour (GWh) of electricity delivered. These options include the proposed Wuskwatim Hydro generation and transmission project, as well as six hypothetical generation projects that use a variety of different fuels. The six hypothetical options were:

• Conventional coal-fired plant;
• Integrated gasification combined-cycle coal-fired plant;
• Gas turbine — simply cycle;
• Gas turbine — combined cycle;
• Wind turbine farm;
• Biomass power generation (flax biomass).

This project provided a thorough and detailed analysis of the GHG and land change implications associated with the different options, and was used as a part of a Public Utilities Commission hearing for the Wuskwatim Dam.

Drilling Waste Management Options: BP, ChevronTexaco, Burlington Resources (The Mackenzie Delta Partnership)

Pembina Corporate Consulting completed a rigorous and detailed quantitative analysis of several drilling waste management options, which included different drilling mud mediums. This analysis required a comprehensive life-cycle analysis, which measured costs and several environmental and social indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions. The results of this process were used in stakeholder-engagement activities by the member companies. Pembina helped to develop appropriate communication materials.

Company-specific Oil Sands Greenhouse Gas Data: Pembina

By researching environmental-impact statements, company surveys and corporate reporting, Pembina Corporate Consulting has compiled company-specific emission factors for several industry players in the oil sands. This data is for existing and future oil sands operations. While different levels of uncertainty exist for different emission factors, Pembina believes it is the best data for oil sands operations that is publicly available in the country.

Web-based Clearinghouse: The Pembina Institute (www.lcva.ca)

The LCVA Clearinghouse is a subscription-based Web site that serves as a reference library and analytical tool to aid in the completion of Life Cycle Value Assessments. In the quest for sustainability, an LCVA can be used as a decision-making tool by businesses, policy developers, communities, and individuals. LCVAs can help assess existing or potential impacts of a product or system, and generate design enhancements that ensure eco-efficiency.

General Experience with Life Cycle Value Assessment

Pembina Corporate Consulting has performed more than 100 LCVAs in the energy and materials sectors. We offer great variety in the depth and type of assessments. We have completed comprehensive, detailed, quantitative studies; we have facilitated one-day sessions from two to eight hours in length. We have conducted streamlined qualitative assessments, and we've provided organizations with LCVA training and tools for their independent use.

Throughout, Pembina has gained considerable experience and an appreciation for the best ways to navigate through tough decisions that have clear triple-bottom-line trade-offs.