JAMAICA: Bauxite industry looking up
KINGSTON, Nov 08 (IPS) - Bauxite seems set to once again regain its premier position in the economy if government's plans for the sector materialises.
Prime Minister, Percival Patterson says cabinet has authorised a one million-dollar feasibility study of bauxite reserves in Trelawny, a parish in the northern section of the island.
Patterson says reserves located mainly in east Trelawny and the western section of St. Ann -- another parish close by -- are large enough to support the economic operation of an alumina plant of one million tonnes per year.
The feasibility study will be carried out by the Jamaica Bauxite Institute and Jamaica Bauxite Mining. Exploration activities are expected to be completed within twelve months.
The full-scale feasibility study is necessary to provide a total cost estimate of the plant and related facility that will be needed to extract the bauxite, provide firm data on the bauxite reserves in terms of distribution of deposits, tonnage and accessibility of the reserves for economic mining, Patterson says.
The prime minister also says the study will produce a description of the most cost-effective processing technology for the bauxite and an environment impact assessment for the proposed project.
Bauxite/alumina is Jamaica's second largest foreign exchange earner. grossing some 500 million dollars in revenue last year.
Patterson also says Jamaica is expected to begin discussions on a proposed joint venture operation with the southern Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago.
The idea to explore additional bauxite reserves here was first broached three years ago but reports are that government has decided to take the plunge now because bauxite is on an upswing and Jamaica is set to have a record year in terms of production.
At the end of August, the island produced 7.8 million tonnes of bauxite -- a 6.1 percent increase over the same period last year.
Patterson says projections are for a worldwide shortage of alumina, as plants in the former Soviet Union become idle and the market for aluminium increases.
Jamaica, he says is putting itself in a position to take advantage of the increased demand when it comes.
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