WINDALCO’s Ewarton plant reopens

The Minister of Mining has hinted that two other alumina plants in Jamaica could reopen soon following Thursday’s reopening  of the Ewarton plant, operated by West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO).

WINDALCO closed its Ewarton and Kirkvine refineries last year due to a drop in demand for alumina but has signaled that the market has sufficiently rebounded to allow for the reopening of its Ewarton, St. Catherine plant.

James Robertson, the Mining Minister, who spoke with RJR’s Financial Report Wednesday night, says normality is set to return to the bauxite/alumina sector which was facing an uncertain future.

“Rain or shine, we’ll be re-opening Ewarton officially (on Thursday), so a major bauxite/alumina refinery plant will be back in operation. When I took over this ministry a year ago, I wondered how long it would take for the measures implemented by the government and the world market to both get into sync resulting in the reopening of our bauxite plants and I’m now Ewarton is doing so and I’m looking to ALPART (Alumina Partners of Jamaica Limited) and (the WINDALCO plant in) Kirkvine, (Manchester) to do the same,” Mr. Robertson said.