Market Assessment Conclusions

A detailed study of the nitric acid market both within Australia and overseas has suggested that there is a potential market of up to 72 000 tonnes per year, on a 100% acid basis. 

This conclusion indicates the feasibility of a nitric acid plant with a total annual capacity of 55 000 tonnes (on a 100% basis). This figure represents 92 000 tonnes per year (280 tonnes per day) of 60% nitric acid product. 

This latter figure is based upon an anticipated local demand from a new ammonium nitrate plant in Western Australia. This plant should account for approximately 65 000 tonnes of 60% nitric acid per year. The remaining annual production of 27 000 tonnes of 60% nitric acid, will be exported to various countries in South-East Asia (less than half that presently imported in this region). 

This production philosophy sees a guaranteed local market absorbing 70% of production, with 30% capacity in reserve to exploit the suggested export market. This would seem to be a sound, stable base on which to launch a more detailed feasibility assessment. 

The plant should operate on a standard 8000 hour/year basis, with approximately 330 days of production. It is assumed that a market price of As345 per tonne can be obtained for the product. 

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For every endpoint investigated, the risk assessment for new substances assigns one of four available conclusions (i) the substance is of no immediate concern and need not be considered again until further information is made available in accordance with the requirements of Directive 67/548/EEC, (ii) the substance is of concern and the Competent Authority wiU define information required to refine the assessment and request that it is supplied when the quantity of the substance placed on the market reaches the next supply threshold, (iii) the substance is of concern and the Competent Authority wiU request that defined information is supplied without further delay, and (iv) the substance is of concern and the Competent Authority will immediately make recommendations for risk reduction. 

Following receipt of data the Commission drew up priority lists of substances that, on the basis of that data, were thought to have the potential to pose a risk of harm to human health or the environment. By the publication of the EU White Paper in 2001, four lists, containing a total of 141 substances, had been adopted by the relevant technical committee (CEC, 2001). The progress of these risk assessments was very slow. Risk assessment of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), for example, commenced in 1997 but was still not completed nine years later (ENDS, 2006). In 2006 around 16,700 tonnes of HBCD were produced every year for use as a flame retardant. It may have neurotoxic effects and interfere with the metabolism of thyroid hormone, but because risk assessment of it had not reached a conclusion there were no restrictions on its use. By 2006 final risk assessment reports were available for only about 70 substances (European Commission, 2006b) — less than 0.5 per cent of the 30,000 or so existing substances on the European market at quantities of above 1 tonne per annum. 

In conclusion, a procedure makes it possible to avoid duplication of work not only by manufacturers of raw materials and manufacturers of medicines (finished products) when they prepare licensing dossiers but also by the licensing authorities and pharmacopeia authorities when they assess these dossiers. Differences among the various European licensing authorities in approach and assessment of compliance with European Pharmacopeia monographs are also avoided, and clearer communications are facilitated. Finally, the procedure allows European Pharmacopeia monographs to be constantly updated to keep up with new developments in the world market. 

Samples should be assessed by laboratory, production, and marketing with the conclusions and recommendations recorded in the minutes of the project team s report. 

If the risk assessment comes to the conclusion that further risk reduction measures beyond those already in place are necessary, a risk reduction stmtegy must be developed. Directive 76/769/EEC on the restrictions in marketing and use of... 

Market success is an important criterion of any new drivetrain technology. Its benchmark is usually the cost of a conventional powertrain. In view of the different possible layouts, analyses should be based on production costs, not end-user price, and refer to mechanical power output to retain comparability in terms of driving performance. In a second step, life-cycle costs also need to be assessed in order to draft reliable conclusions. Figure 35.24 shows the specific costs of conventional ICE, hybrid, and BEV drivetrains for a vehicle with 90kWmech- Component costs are those stated in the previous sections. 

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