Efficiency Key To Bauxite Mining Expansion Plan

"In terms of productivity, we have some room to improve. "We definitely need to achieve our efficiency targets."

Jamaica Gleaner Online

Alpart looks to expansion - But project awaits feasibility study
published: Friday | September 28, 2007

By John Myers Jr.
Business Reporter
john.myers@gleanerjm.com

Alumina Partners of Jamaica (Alpart), the largest bauxite mining company and a subsidiary of the Rusal group, plans to expand by 350,000 tonnes, but said the project rests on the result of an audit that the company has commissioned.

The review will both determine the cost of the expansion as well as its financial feasibility, with Alpart managing director Alberto Fabrini noting that until then, the investment could not be priced.

However, the Financial Gleaner , using as proxy the investment just made by rival Jamalco to build capacity, estimates that the St. Elizabeth-based bauxite company may need to spend upwards of US$280 million.

At US$120 million, Jamalco would have injected US$800 per tonne to add to the 150,000 tonnes of capacity, a project completed in the first calendar quarter of 2007 that ramped up production capacity to 1.425 million tonnes.

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