Economic-Based Sustainability Assessment of Aluminum Roofing Sheet Manufacturing/Life Cycle and Plant Sizing in Nigeria

An economic-based sustainable cost-benefit evaluation of Aluminum roofing sheet (ARS) manufacturing in Nigeria is presented. The aim is to evaluate costs and profits associated with various plant sizes within sustainability concerns, in order to promote economic growth. The metrics for economic viability analysis, namely; total capital investment, specific capital cost, payback period, return on investment etc. were explored to deduce a cost effective starter plant, amidst five plant sizes evaluated. Data was obtained from a typical ARS manufacturing plant in Nigeria designated as X-plant for privacy. The product life cycle gave insight into the social and environmental impacts of ARS manufacturing and use. The result show that an ARS plant can start with an initial size of 4.5Kton capacity per Annum. This size can offer over 3% return at a present value greater than $4.97/Kg/year. The results also indicate that plant size can considerably affect the used economic criteria.