In the context of climate change, it is essential to assess the potential impact of future climatic conditions on industrial sites. A prospective study has recently been carried out on the cement plant sites operated by the Vicat Group in Isère, France. The aim of this project is to identify climate risks and their impact on the management and sustainability of the facilities. This study is part of our climate change data service.
The main objective is to provide an accurate assessment of future climate impacts in order to guide strategic and effective decisions. The first aim of this approach is to identify the critical climatic hazards that could affect infrastructure and operations. Next, it aims to propose technical and logistical adjustments to strengthen the resilience of sites in the face of climatic challenges. Finally, the climate projections will be incorporated into the sites’ long-term maintenance and development plans.
Data from the latest IPCC models (CMIP6) have been corrected to reduce systemic biases. Systemic biases are common in climate simulations, such as the underestimation of extreme precipitation or the overestimation of average temperatures. The data has also been densified to a spatial resolution of 1 km. Adjustments were made using the CDF-t correction method. This method works by cross-referencing climate model data with high-resolution local observations (1 km).
In this second phase of anticipating climate impacts, we calculated twelve climate indicators. These were calculated for different time horizons and climate scenarios, covering key parameters such as :
These indicators were evaluated for two contrasting socio-economic scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) over two time horizons: 2036-2065 and 2056-2085. This step is essential for the rest of the prospective study.
The results have been spatially interpolated to a resolution of 100 meters to provide a detailed view of climatic risks on the sites. Hydroclimat produces maps that help to identify areas exposed to climatic risk. What’s more, they clearly show deviations from the current period.
The results of this climate impact anticipation study will provide strategic tools for adapting sites and industrial operations, namely :
This prospective study on anticipating climate impacts provides a better understanding of the climate challenges that the industrial site and its activity could face in the years to come. It also provides concrete advice on how to anticipate these challenges and deal with them effectively. This in-depth work helps to identify potential risks while proposing appropriate solutions. This strengthens the resilience of infrastructures and guarantees sustainable management, even in a constantly changing climate.
Thanks to this proactive approach, the Vicat Group has positioned itself as a player committed to adapting to climate change. It guarantees the durability and performance of its infrastructures in a constantly changing environment.
