35,000 tonnes of bauxite awaits shipment at Rusal’s Alpart operations

After a gap of six years, UC Rusal Alpart bauxite/alumina operations have finally swung into action. A cargo ship- Vyritsa is being loaded with 35,000 tonnes of bauxite at Alpart’s Port Kaiser facility and is scheduled to leave for Ukraine later this week.

“This is the first major economic activity coming out of Alpart in six years,” an enthused and excited Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell declared; and is certainly a landmark in the journey of the facility’s resumption of operations since its closure in 2009.

Following the shutdown of Alpart, the largest alumina refinery in Jamaica, UC had committed to reopen the refinery at Nain, south east St Elizabeth in December 2016. Bauxite mining operations were started in January this year in Alpart owned bauxite mine in the Myersville region of south east St Elizabeth. However, this loading of the cargo ship marks as the first major step towards full-fledged resumption of work.

Alpart officials said the company is working on potential bauxite export assignments. The Jamaican government has agreed to the export of bauxite by Alpart - pending reopening of the alumina plant.