Database export · EcoSpold 2
Export EcoSpold 2 databases
Save a loaded LCA database as a ZIP of EcoSpold 2 .spold datasets with activity and product identifiers. Choose this destination when your next workflow needs EcoSpold 2.
What is EcoSpold 2?
EcoSpold 2 is an XML format developed for ecoinvent version 3. Its activity datasets describe reference products, exchanges, geography, classifications, and UUID-based links.
What you get
A ZIP archive with one .spold document per activity and reference-product pair, named using its activity and product UUIDs.
Export value: ecospold2
Start with a loaded database
Import and load your source database on a running VoLCA server first. Uploading a file alone is not enough. Replace my-database with the loaded database name.
Review load warnings and supplier dependencies before exporting. Only export and share data your license allows you to use.
Choose an import path →Save the database to a file
These CLI and Python examples address your running server. Smoke checks used VoLCA v0.12.0 and pyvolca 0.11.0 with a synthetic single-product database. All five CLI file-generation operations completed. openpyxl exposed an OOXML manifest defect in the v0.12.0 Brightway file; merged PR #396 adds the missing package parts, and the resulting workbook opened successfully with openpyxl. Other formats were not import-tested in receiving applications. File generation does not establish metadata fidelity, supplier-link fidelity, or acceptance by another application.
CLI
volca --config volca.toml --url http://localhost:8080 database export my-database \
--format ecospold2 --out database-ecospold2.zipUse your existing volca.toml configuration and credentials. Replace the local URL with your server address.
Python
from volca import Client
client = Client("http://localhost:8080")
client.export_to_file("ecospold2", "database-ecospold2.zip",
db_name="my-database")Install pyvolca, replace the local server URL, and supply credentials when required. Choose a new output filename to avoid replacing an existing file.
What the writer carries forward
The writer carries activity and product identifiers, exchanges, amounts, units, locations, and available classifications from the loaded database.
Exports are written from VoLCA's loaded data model. They are not copies of the original source files.
Limits to check before using the file
An export cannot recover information discarded during import. Original per-exchange identifier strings, production volumes, and properties are omitted or reconstructed where the writer uses stable identifiers. Check supplier links and the receiving workflow rather than assuming acceptance by ecoinvent tools.
Review export warnings and errors. A file being written does not establish target-software compatibility, successful supplier linking, or equivalent LCIA results. Import and verify a compatible LCIA method separately.
Read the writer source →A measured Agribalyse export example
The historical VoLCA v0.9.1 run exported Agribalyse to ILCD, EcoSpold 1, and EcoSpold 2 and checked file structure, counts, and checksums. Its files were not re-imported into target software, and LCIA equivalence was not established. Those measurements do not describe a current-release test.
Read the measured example and its limits →Frequently asked questions
Does an EcoSpold 2 export include ecoinvent data?
Only if that data is already in the database you loaded and you are entitled to use it. Choosing EcoSpold 2 does not supply an ecoinvent database or a redistribution license.