17°58′01″N 77°36′29″W / 17.967°N 77.608°W / 17.967; -77.608 Alumina Partners of Jamaica, also known as Alpart, is a company that owns and operates a bauxite refinery in Nain, Jamaica.[1] Alpart was founded in 1969 as a joint venture by Kaiser Aluminum, Reynolds Aluminum, and Anaconda.[2] Construction commenced in December 1966. the first buildings completed were for a Dunwoody industrial skills training center, which began teaching in November 1967.[3] Plant operations began on 18 May 1969, (the first shipment was made 9 August 1969[4]) and on 6 March 1970 the formal opening ceremony took place, attended by prime minister Hugh Shearer and then union leader and later prime minister Michael Manley.[5]

Around the beginning of the 1980s the Caribbean bauxite industry was in decline. High demand during the boom years of the 1950s and 1960s had caused an increase in exploration activity which resulted in major finds in Australia, Guinea and Brazil. In the 1970s business condition worsened as a result of shifts in government policy in Jamaica and Guyana. The global increase in oil prices were a further blow to the already relatively inefficient Caribbean alumina operations.[6] The Aluminum sector at the time accounted for 40-50% of the entire energy consumption of the country, 90% of which was satisfied through imported oil and petroleum products.[7]

World Bauxite Production (x 1,000 tonnes)[6]: 6 
1970 1975 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
World 48,715 63,671 78,192 73,476 63,092 63,615 80,849
Caribbean 24,191 21,456 20,991 18,957 13,347 11,747 14,595
Jamaica 12,010 11,570 12,064 11,606 8,158 7,682 8,735

In August 1985 Reynolds and Kaiser bought out Atlantic Richfield's 27% stake (Anaconda's stake) and 11 days later (13 August 1985[5]) announced the temporary closure of the plant,[8] which had been operating at one-half capacity since 1982. In December 1988 an agreement to reopen the plant was reached.[9] On 19 March 1989 the plant reopened,[5] controlled by a 65-35 joint venture of Kaiser Aluminum and Norsk Hydro.[10]

While in bankruptcy in 2004, Kaiser Aluminum auctioned off its 65% stake to Rusal who bid $295 million for it.[11] Norsk Hydro subsequently exercised its first right of refusal and acquired the interest for itself and then immediately passed it on to Glencore at cost. Glencore was already 93% owner of the nearby Windalco operation.[12] A few years later the aluminum division of Glencore became part of Rusal.

Alpart exports 1.65 million tonnes of alumina overseas per year, and earned gross revenues of US$1.3 billion in 2007.[13]

On 15 May 2009 the plant shut down again (Great Recession).[5][14]

In 2011 Hydro divested its 35% stake to Rusal, who paid $46 million and then owned 100%, while the refinery remained shut down due to unfavorable market conditions.[10][2]

In 2016, UC Rusal sold its 100% stake to the Chinese state industrial group, Jiuquan Iron & Steel (Group) Co. Ltd. (‘JISCO’).[15]

The plant was put in operation in June 2017,[16] and shut down again on 27 September 2019.[17] The first shipment under new management departed from Port Kaiser on 29 December 2017: 35,000 tonnes to China.[18]

According to Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Floyd Green, JISCO is currently planning to begin work on a $490 million modernization program at the end of 2026 and to restart operations in June 2027.[19]

Alpart was in operation 195 months, shut down 43 months, in operation 242 months, shut down 97 months, in operation 27 months, and in June 2027 will have been shut down 97 months. 464 in operations total (66%) vs. 237 months shut down total since inception.

Alpart, born in 1969, is a citizen, an institution, a neighbour, a family member of the south St Elizabeth landscape. It offers work, water, compensation, community support, educational support, agricultural support, local purchases, employment, and a model sports club that is the centre for regional sports in that part of Jamaica.

— Jamaica Observer[17]

References

  1. ^ 2006 Minerals Yearbook: Islands of the Caribbean. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ^ a b Unsettled time for bauxite/alumina Archived 2008-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. Carlton E. Davis. Jamaica Gleaner.
  3. ^ "Contracted Training of Jamaicans for Skilled-Technical Jobs" (PDF). Training and Development Journal. April 1971. p. 29.
  4. ^ "The bauxite industry revival". Jamaica Observer. 24 June 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Third time around for Alpart". Jamaica Observer. 6 February 2015.
  6. ^ a b Central Intelligence Agency (March 1986). Caribbean Economics: Squeezed by Structural Changes in World Bauxite Industry (Report). p. 4.
  7. ^ Jamaica: Development Issues and Economic Prospects (No. 3781-JM) (PDF) (Report). World Bank. 29 January 1982. p. 244-246.
  8. ^ "Alumina Plant Closure". The Daily Gleaner (Kingston). 14 August 1985.
  9. ^ The Aluminium Industry of Latin America and the Caribbean: Technological Options and Opportunities for Growth (Report). 26 September 1989.
  10. ^ a b "Hydro divests its stake in Alpart alumina refinery in Jamaica". 16 September 2011.
  11. ^ "KAISER ALUMINUM ANNOUNCES RUSAL AS SUCCESSFUL BIDDER FOR ALPART INTERESTS". 21 April 2004.
  12. ^ "Hydro seeks improved operations and cost synergies in Jamaican alumina-deal".
  13. ^ Global economic crisis hits Alpart Archived 2008-11-13 at the Wayback Machine. Garfield Myers. Jamaica Observer.
  14. ^ "ALPART stops operations". Radio Jamaica News. 15 May 2009.
  15. ^ "RUSAL sells Alpart alumina refinery in Jamaica". www.basel.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2017-06-09.
  16. ^ "JISCO to upgrade Alpart alumina refinery in order to facilitate monthly export of alumina". Alcircle. 9 March 2018.
  17. ^ a b "So long, Alpart". Jamaica Observer. 26 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Alpart Ships First Cargo of Alumina". Jamaica Information Service. 2 January 2018.
  19. ^ "JISCO to pump US$490 million into phase one of two-part reopening, says Green". Jamaica Observer. 8 July 2026.