Embodied carbon is an important consideration when designing and specifying projects in the oil and gas industry. Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) structural products and Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) pipes are known for their light weight and corrosion resistant properties, but these properties also have the effect of reducing the embodied carbon of the products over their life span. By taking the examples of traditionally steel products and their FRP equivalents this paper aims to quantify the potential savings.

The comparison for structural products focuses on phenolic FRP offshore handrails manufactured with FRP profiles and fittings vs. Galvanized Steel Handrails. For GRE pipes, a typical 12-in. pipe is compared against steel alternatives. This study uses baseline scenarios to calculate the main life cycle impacts and scenario-based analysis to account for the maintenance and repair opportunities that the products allow for. Global warming potential is the impact category analyzed in the study.

A typical handrail installation could be 4,000 linear meters. The embodied carbon saving from using FRP handrail could be as high as 5,300 tonnes of CO2e, a saving of over 96%. The use of GRE pipes in place of traditional CS pipes produces at least 60% savings over 20 years.