US imports of bauxite declined to 644,000 tonnes in Q1 2026, down 15.8 per cent from 765,000 tonnes in Q3 2024. The decline reflects longer-term pressure on the US primary aluminium and alumina industries, including reduced refining capacity and weaker demand for imported raw materials. Trade...
Jamaica’s bauxite and alumina export earnings are expected to improve in 2026, even though the first quarter was weak. The government expects production to rise as repairs continue after Hurricane Melissa, and the aluminium industry is watching closely because bauxite is the raw material used to...
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Clarendon Alumina Production Limited (CAP) advises that it has produced 2015 accounts but that these have not yet been laid before the annual general meeting or Parliament. It is unclear how the Government of Jamaica, and in particular, the otherwise progressive Ministry of Finance, does not have a...
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...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced today that it has completed a 31,000 metric tonne shipment of smelter grade alumina from its alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana to an aluminum smelter in China. This shipment, which is part of a multi-shipment export arrangement at market prices,...
Phillip Paulwell, Jamaica's Mining Minister, has disclosed that UC Rusal, the Russian aluminium conglomerate, will soon be meeting with the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET) to give a report on energy projects it is contemplating for its alumina refineries in Jamaica. UC Rusal is...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation today reported results for second quarter 2015 on July 23, 2015. "In a volatile second quarter 2015 aluminum price environment, we successfully managed cash and available liquidity while continuing to focus on improving our operational reliability and...
The Jamalco bauxite mining and alumina refinery will spend roughly US$500 million to build its coal-fired plant as a means to offset its high energy costs, stated Government. The plans were long discussed but it's the first time the authorities have released estimates on the cost. "The mining and...
The head of the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET) says the slow progress in starting new energy projects in the bauxite sector will not affect the overall national programme to bring energy costs down. The expression of confidence came from Dr Vincent Lawrence during a press briefing at...
The Government of Russia has pledged assistance to Jamaica with restoring mined-out bauxite lands to full agricultural productivity. Mining minister Phillip Paulwell says the European country has pledged the latest in Russian technology. Russia’s agriculture minister has reportedly expressed hope...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Noranda Bauxite Limited (NBL) has reached an interim agreement with the Government of Jamaica (the GOJ) relating to a dispute regarding production levies. The interim agreement addresses payments of production...
Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp will have to seek a new power supplier or negotiate a new contract with Ameren Corp in five years to keep its Missouri smelter running, the latest obstacle for its only primary aluminum plant. Energy provider Ameren's Missouri division told Noranda last Thursday it...
Expectations are high in Junction, St Elizabeth, as stakeholders are of the view that the impending reopening of the Alumina Partners of Jamaica (ALPART) bauxite processing plant, and new opportunities in the agriculture and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors should churn out numerous jobs...
Zavia Mayne, the Jamaica Labour Party's caretaker/candidate for South West St Ann, is pressing the Government to revisit bauxite mining operations in St Ann and other sections of Jamaica in light of the issues associated with the current practice of extracting the ore. "We support bauxite mining...
The continued lagged impact of the drought which prevailed last summer has been blamed for the poor performance of the Jamaican economy during fiscal year 2014-15, with the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) estimating expansion of a mere 0.1 per cent. The performance was largely driven by a...
After the uproar about supposed illegal mining in the Cockpit Country, a source in Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partnership clarifies that they were not mining. However, they were drilling in the area to check feasibility of mining in future. Noranda has a Special Exclusive Prospecting License (SEPL)...
Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell announced on Thursday that he will be visiting Russia in mid-June for talks with government officials as well as officials of UC Rusal, the aluminium giant which owns Alpart. "The Russian Government has invited myself and a team to...
Timothy O’Driscoll has been promising the reopening of the Alpart alumina refinery ever since he took over as managing director in 2009. Although there is still an expected 18-19 months time for that dream to be realized, last Thursday there was a glimmer of hope with the visit of Phillip Paulwell....
Now that it has completed the expansion of its port in Discovery Bay, St Ann, Noranda Aluminum Holding is looking at boosting bauxite exports from Jamaica. Its current lease gives it room to sell at least an additional 400,000 tonnes of bauxite each year, but the company suggested that it might go...
"We are pleased to report the successful completion of two important initiatives to improve our cost structure," Layle K. Smith, Noranda's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Specifically, we established a new and reduced electricity rate structure at our aluminum smelter and we completed our...
