A chemical engineer is selecting a location for a new heavy chemical manufacturing plant producing fertilizer in Nigeria. How should the following siting factors be arranged in decreasing order of priority (from most critical to least critical)?
- 1Proximity to abundant bulk raw materials (such as natural gas and rock phosphate deposits)
- 2Availability of continuous industrial power and massive water supply
- 3Access to heavy transport infrastructure (such as railways, deepwater ports, or major freight highways)
- 4Proximity to immediate urban consumer retail markets
Answer
The correct order of priority from most critical to least critical is: Proximity to bulk raw materials, Availability of continuous industrial power and water supply, Access to heavy transport infrastructure, and Proximity to immediate urban consumer retail markets.
For heavy chemical manufacturing plants, proximity to raw materials is paramount because raw inputs are bulky and costly to transport. Availability of continuous power and water ranks second to ensure uninterrupted continuous-flow operations. Heavy transport infrastructure (rail and sea links) ranks third to facilitate bulk freight movements. Proximity to local urban consumer markets is the lowest priority because heavy chemicals are intermediate goods sold to other industries, not end-user retail products.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Priority of siting factors in heavy vs light chemical industries
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