Century’s Jamalco refinery is back to full production after catastrophic cyclone in Jamaica

On Friday, July 12, Century Aluminum announced that its bauxite mining and alumina refining joint venture, Jamalco, resumed full production after recovering from the impact of the recent devastative cyclone Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica.

Hurricane Beryl pounded upon Jamaica on July 3, bringing intense winds and heavy rain.

Century Aluminum said that its JV witnessed no injuries or significant damages at its production facilities due to the cyclone. It also does not expect to face a material impact on its financial results.

Century’s President and CEO Jesse Gary, said: “I want to say thank you to the entire Jamalco team who did a remarkable job preparing for and operating safely through this major storm.”

He added, While we are thankful that our employees are safe and that no significant damage occurred at the refinery, the hurricane did have a major impact on the surrounding communities, and we are working with local officials in Clarendon and other parishes to assist those in need.”

Although Jamalco’s production facilities escaped major impacts of the cyclone, the port facility could not get away. A portion of the alumina conveyor is damaged and needs repair, which is anticipated to be completed in the next few weeks.

For now, Jamalco has made an arrangement for an alternative port to ensure continued alumina shipments to its customers until the time its conveyors are repaired. The damage to Jamalco’s alumina conveyor is not likely to impact the refinery’s production levels and its overall operations.

Jamalco is a joint venture between Century Aluminum, with 55 per cent share, and Clarendon Alumina Production Limited (CAP), with 45 per cent share. Jamalco is known for the high-quality alumina it produces and has historically been a high performing facility on the global cost curve.