R-taso Oy, specialized in 3D design and manufacture of industrial walkway solutions, delivers lower carbon footprint maintenance platforms, stair towers and walkway solutions to Stora Enso Oulu, as the site is being converted from a paper machine into high quality containerboard production. R-taso´s products are known for their one third lower carbon footprint when compared to more traditional industrial walkway solutions, due to the clever modular product design requiring more than 30 % less steel compared to traditional structures.
Stora Enso project´s carbon footprint was calculated by R-taso Oy. The project´s stair tower has a carbon footprint of 9502 kg CO2e. Compared to more traditional stair tower structures ca. 5000 kg CO2e environmental savings are accumulated, which means a ca. 1,5 multiplier, if the compared steel´s carbon footprint is as low as the SSAB´s steel used in R-taso´s products. SSAB`s steel represents one of the lowest carbon footprint steels in the world. If the compared product´s steel origins outside of Europe, the environmental savings are much higher than this 1,5 multiplier.
The main influencers to lower carbon footprint number are more intelligent design, optimized use of raw materials and the origin country of the steel. During the site´s life cycle R-taso´s solutions effectuate even more benefits, e.g. because the product structures are easy to modify, remanufacture and to reuse.
"In addition to assessing the environmental impacts of the production processes, also the decisions made during the factory´s construction are important, e.g. the origin of used materials and optimizing the amount of steel. Intelligent design accumulates remarkable benefits also during the life cycle", says the CEO Ville Törmänen from R-taso Oy.
"The carbon footprint of a single product is not the main point, it is a question of everyone doing their share. The big picture counts," Törmänen continues.
"R-taso´s intelligent modular product structure uses the right amount of steel in the exact right place. We are specialized in demanding industrial targets, so reliability and work safety of our solutions are the directive values in our design and production – but it doesn’t need to mean compromising clever use of raw materials or discarding environmental points of view," Törmänen says.
"In addition to the product structures, the origin of the steel is the key issue where we can make an impact. We purchase our raw materials mainly from SSAB`s production sites, which are the forerunners in environmental development and from other European suppliers, who have the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Using steel produced in Finland and Europe is a responsible choice both environmentally and socially," says Törmänen.
R-taso Oy had their production´s and products´ carbon footprint calculated in the beginning of 2020, a major part of the carbon footprint is formed by the main raw material steel. Due to clever modular product design R-taso’s products require remarkably less steel compared to competing industrial walkway solutions by more traditional manufacturers. With calculated data in hand, R-taso is looking into providing carbon footprint calculations to customers alongside product offers. The calculations were executed by Macon Oy, an expert in bio and circular economy.
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