GFLI XML import

Question

I have downloaded the "Environmental footprint 2.o (XML)" LCI dataset from GFLI as a zip file. Is it possible to import this into openLCA? So far I'm not sure exactly how I would do this. Thanks!

Comments

Yes, they replied with this: You can import and download the GFLI database in LCI software using the .CSV format (https://globalfeedlca.org/gfli-database/lifecycle-inventory-download/types). It’s possible openLCA only accepts ILCD downloads, but there should be a .CSV-ILCD converter available in openLCA that’ll allow its use.
But they also said there were only system processes and not unit processes available at that time (January 2022).

Answer 1

Hi, interesting, GFLI means this: https://globalfeedlca.org/gfli-database/lifecycle-inventory-download/?

The EF2 database is supposed to be in ILCD format, but when importing it unfortuntately throws a lot of errors in openLCA since flows and other elements (flow properties, sources) are missing in the provided package: (only a small section of the error log from importing it)

143026	Thread-17	ERROR	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ExchangeFlow	Cannot get flow
org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ImportException: Could not import flow 73b6bb68-4cb5-4d3a-b4a4-a68c1780fdc9 because the reference flow property of this flow could not be imported.      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.FlowImport.createAndMapContent(FlowImport.java:106)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.FlowImport.createNew(FlowImport.java:69)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.FlowImport.run(FlowImport.java:50)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ExchangeFlow.fetchFromImport(ExchangeFlow.java:111)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ExchangeFlow.fetch(ExchangeFlow.java:77)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ExchangeFlow.findOrImport(ExchangeFlow.java:59)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessExchanges.map(ProcessExchanges.java:47)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport.createAndMapContent(ProcessImport.java:119)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport.createNew(ProcessImport.java:87)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport.run(ProcessImport.java:58)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.ILCDImport.tryImportProcesses(ILCDImport.java:195)      at org.openlca.io.ilcd.ILCDImport.run(ILCDImport.java:66)      at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748)
143026	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessExchanges	invalid exchange Exchange [flow=null, flowProperty=null, unit=null] - not added to process RootEntity [type=Process, refId=0092abf0-e9b3-4230-a3c6-a393bea31f39, name=Broad bean, at plant, from crushing (pressing without solvent extraction),]
143120	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport	Failed to get contact null referenced from process 004aa35e-899c-4924-87f3-c6685ed81421
143120	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport	Failed to get contact null referenced from process 004aa35e-899c-4924-87f3-c6685ed81421
143120	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport	Failed to get contact null referenced from process 004aa35e-899c-4924-87f3-c6685ed81421
143120	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport	Failed to get source null referenced from process 004aa35e-899c-4924-87f3-c6685ed81421
143120	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.ProcessImport	Failed to get source e3e18bb5-d634-4d0f-9741-897d4d5be415 referenced from process 004aa35e-899c-4924-87f3-c6685ed81421
143123	Thread-17	WARN	org.openlca.io.ilcd.input.FlowImport	failed to get flow property Ref [type=FLOW_PROPERTY, uuid=08f485ac-ed8d-4764-b8f6-ed3c220abdb8]

It is a bit a pity, but creating valid ILCD data package seems to be really an issue, for many (and I know that some say that in GaBi, e.g., if you have the flow / source / etc. already in your database, then it is smart to delete it from the import package although other elements in the import package point to a then non-existent location, but that is quite a tinkering / workaroundish approach I think, plus you then don't know how the element you skip looks like in the database you import into, since only the UUID is checked).

Maybe it is good to make GFLI aware of this..

Best wishes,

Andreas