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September 11, 2009
Jamalco – the Usain Bolt of the Alumina Industry
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Prime Minister of Jamaica the Honourable Bruce Golding has described Jamalco as the “Usain Bolt of the alumina industry” as he commended the leadership and workers of the Clarendon based bauxite/alumina company for its outstanding performance in the first half of 2009, despite the worldwide downturn in the alumina industry.
The company for the first half of 2009 broke several production records and achieved the safety milestone of working 5 million man-hours without a lost workday. Along the way it moved from ninth position to fourth among Alcoa’s alumina refineries.
Prime Minister Golding was speaking at a ceremony at Jamalco’s Mount Oliphant, South Manchester facility where he officially commissioned into service the company’s Doppelmayr Rope Conveyor (RopeCon) System on Friday, August 28.
The 3.4 kilometers long conveyor takes bauxite from the South Manchester plateau at Mount Oliphant, down to the rail head at St. Jago,Clarendon where it is loaded onto rail cars for tramming to the alumina refinery at Halse Hall, Clarendon.
The Prime Minister said in his address to community partners, government and company officials and employees, that one factor contributing to Jamalco’s survival when other alumina refineries in Jamaica and elsewhere had closed was “over the years the company had invested in retooling and improving its technology as close to the cutting edge as possible.”
He noted that during this 50th anniversary of Alcoa’s operations in Jamaica the partnership between the multinational company and the government was stronger than ever. Mr. Golding added that the government had worked hard, in partnership with Alcoa, to keep the refinery opened and paid tribute to the leadership of Managing Director Jerome Maxwell and to the teamwork of all employees.
Mr. Golding said that even as the government negotiates to reopen the other refineries it is pursuing the provision of an alternative energy source as the industry could not be sustained at current energy costs.
Also speaking at the ceremony was Alcoa’s Vice President, Global Primary Products Bernt Reitan. Mr. Reitan commended Jamalco for its record performance during the first half of the year noting that in the process Jamalcoans have demonstrated that they are world beaters. He said that the company’s performance has established a benchmark for other refineries in the Alcoa system to follow. “You have earned it all, you have done it yourselves,” he added.
Mr. Reitan said that Alcoa has been in the forefront of protecting endangered species everywhere it operates and that the RopeCon System had been constructed on the same premise. “Its built-in mechanism for dust containment, noise reduction and the generation of renewable energy is a win-win development which balances our sustainability values with the business benefits that flow from our investments.”
President for Alcoa Latin America and the Caribbean Frank Feder also commend Jamalco on its success noting that he was proud to be present at the commissioning of the RopeCon System and to celebrate the company’s success for four reasons:. He explained that 2009 marked the 50th anniversary of the partnership between Jamaica and Alcoa and the RopeCon System represents another step in technology and innovation which has been the hallmark of Alcoa’s 120 year history.
He said the RopeCon project is also a symbol of Alcoa and Jamalco’s commitment to sustainable development in partnership with host communities. The fourth reason for celebration he said was that the Rope Conveyor system generates green energy which points the way to the future in which alternative energy sources for Jamalco’s operation can be found.
Mr. Feder also commended Prime Minister Golding for the government’s partnership and commitment in ensuring that Jamalco remained open even when earlier in the year its closure was almost certain.
Member of Parliament for South Manchester Dean Peart also praised Jamalco for the installation that resides in his constituency, noting that the operations contribute significantly to the economic life of the area, despite the inconvenience of mining. He added that the company had been working closely with the community to resolve issues they might have and so he had received relatively few complaints.
Managing Director Jerome Maxwell gave an overview of the Rope Conveyor System which consists of a belt with corrugated side walls and integrated wheel sets running on fixed track ropes guided over 11 tower structures. The long distance conveyor operates mid-air, minimizing space requirements and easily crosses obstacles on the ground.
The RopeCon System has a small footprint minimizing environmental intrusion and saving 1,200 truck journeys a day along with the associated emissions of CO2, noise, and fine dust. Due to the specific topography at Mt. Oliphant, the RopeCon itself generates approximately 1,200 kW of braking (green) energy per hour. Some of this energy is used to power the Mine facility at Mount Oliphant and the rest is fed back into the national grid.
Special guests at the function included Minister of Energy and Mining, Hon. James Robertson, General Manager of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Parris Lyew Ayee, ministry officials, members of the board of Clarendon Alumina Partners, as well as community and business representatives.
Jamalco is owned 55% by Alcoa and 45% by the government of Jamaica through Clarendon Alumina Partners.
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