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Difficulty: Very hardChemical Industries, Raw Materials, and Siting Factors

Match each chemical industry operation in Nigeria with its primary siting factor and chemical raw material requirement.

  • Petrochemical urea fertilizer plant (e.g., located at Eleme/Onne)Proximity to natural gas fields supplying methane (CH4CH_4) both as a primary chemical hydrogen feedstock and plant energy source
  • Commercial container and sheet glass factory (e.g., located at Ughelli/Igbokoda)Proximity to extensive high-purity silica sand (SiO2SiO_2) deposits to minimize transport of low-value bulk raw solid
  • Chlor-alkali electrochemical manufacturing facilityAccess to dense rock salt or concentrated brine (NaCl(aq)NaCl(aq)) deposits alongside low-cost electrical energy grid
  • Secondary mini-steel rolling mill using electric arc furnacesProximity to large urban consumer markets and industrial metal scrap collection hubs rather than primary iron ore deposits

Answer

The correct pairings align the petrochemical urea plant with natural gas fields (feedstock and fuel), the glass factory with silica sand deposits (bulk solid reduction), the chlor-alkali facility with brine deposits and power supply (electrolysis requirements), and the mini-steel mill with urban scrap markets (market-oriented secondary metallurgy).
The matches correctly link each industry to its primary chemical input and siting logic: urea synthesis requires natural gas feedstock, glass manufacturing requires heavy silica sand deposits, chlor-alkali requires brine and power for electrolysis, and secondary mini-steel mills require scrap metal availability and market access.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the chemical synthesis pathways for urea fertilizer manufacture.
Identify natural gas (CH4CH_4) as the hydrogen source for steam reforming to make ammonia (NH3NH_3), which is combined with carbon dioxide (CO2CO_2) to yield urea.
Natural gas serves a dual role as both chemical feedstock and thermal energy source, necessitating plant siting near gas fields.
2
Examine the material transport economics for commercial glass manufacturing.
Determine that high-purity silica sand (SiO2SiO_2) forms the bulk of the raw material mass.
Transporting heavy, low-unit-cost raw silica across long distances is economically inefficient compared to locating near riverine/coastal sand deposits.
3
Evaluate the inputs for industrial chlor-alkali production.
Connect concentrated aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl(aq)NaCl(aq)) and electric power to the production of sodium hydroxide (NaOHNaOH) and chlorine gas (Cl2Cl_2).
Electrochemical chlor-alkali cells rely on high power input and continuous brine supply.
4
Differentiate primary steelmaking from secondary scrap-based steel mills.
Associate secondary mini-mills with urban scrap centers and market proximity.
Unlike blast furnace primary steel production (which locates near iron ore and metallurgical coal), mini-mills re-melt local metal scrap in electric arc furnaces, making them market-oriented.

Key Concept

Raw material dependencies and industrial siting economics in chemical and metallurgical industries
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Topics

Chemical Industries, Raw Materials, and Siting Factors

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