BAUXITE MINING IN JAMAICA

GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
MARCH 2021
MR. RATTIGAN
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson students should be able to:

❑ Determine location of bauxite deposits and their corresponding processing sites in Jamaica.
❑ Describe the process of bauxite mining.
❑ Understand the factors influencing the location of bauxite mines in Jamaica.
❑ Understand the Benefits of Bauxite Mining to Jamaica’s Economy.
❑ Understand the problems/trends faced by the Bauxite Industry in Jamaica.
BAUXITE
(Al2H2O4)
❑ Bauxite is a rock formed from a reddish clay
material called laterite soil and is most
commonly found in tropical or subtropical
regions. Bauxite is primarily comprised of
aluminum oxide compounds (alumina), silica,
iron oxides and titanium dioxide.
❑ Jamaica contains some of the largest known
deposits of bauxite in the world.
 ❑ Major Bauxite Mining areas are located in

LOCATION western and central Jamaica.

LOCATION OF JAMAICA’S BAUXITE AND
ALUMINA PLANTS
Major Bauxite Plants in Jamaica are located at:
❑ Discovery Bay: Owned by St. Ann’s Bauxite Partners (Century Aluminium Co and Noranda
Aluminium Co 49%; Government 51%)
❑ Lydford, St. Ann: Owned by Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd (100%)

Major Alumina Plants are located at:

❑ Ewarton, St. Catherine: Owned by Windalco (UC RUSAL- 93%; Government- 7%)
❑ Kirkvine, Manchester: Owned by Windalco (UC RUSAL- 93%; Government- 7%)
❑ Halse Hall, Clarendon: Owned by Jamalco (Alcoa 50%; Government 50%)
❑ Nain, St. Elizabeth: Owned by Alpart (Glencore 65%; Hydro-Aluminium 35%)
PROCESS OF
BAUXITE
MINING
❑ After mining, most of the bauxite is carried to
alumina plants where it is refined into
alumina. The alumina (or in some cases
unrefined bauxite) is carried to export ports
by rail. Most of Jamaica’s bauxite is refined
into alumina and the rest is exported
unrefined.
PROCESS OF BAUXITE
MINING
PROCESS OF BAUXITE MINING
Alumina , a white powder, is extracted from Bauxite by chemical processing.
The process incudes:
❑ Dissolving or Digestion, in which the bauxite is dissolved by hot caustic soda.
❑ Clarification, in which in which the undissolved materials are filtered out.
❑ Precipitation, in which the alumina is recovered from the solution.
❑ Calcination, in which these excess liquid is driven off by heat, leaving alumina.

The process also requires the use of Lime which is derived from Limestone. It is used in the removal
of phosphates that are combined with the alumina (aluminium oxides) when it is mined, and to cause
the waste products in the form of red mud to settle.
FACTORS INFLUENCING LOCATION OF
BAUXITE MINES IN JAMAICA
a. Surface Deposits
Several factors have influenced the growth and development of Jamaica’s Bauxite Industry:
❑ The availability of large, easily mined reserves of bauxite
❑ The availability of efficient transport (Railways) of the raw materials to processing and loading
points.
❑ Proximity to a major customer (North America)
❑ A reliable supply of labour
❑ A relatively stable political and economic environment within which the extraction companies can
operate.
FACTORS INFLUENCING LOCATION OF
BAUXITE MINES IN JAMAICA
b. Accessibility of raw material: Bauxite
Jamaica’s Bauxite deposits lie close to the surface and are therefore easily accessible.
❑ The ore is found in limestone areas, in shallow pockets and bowl-shaped depressions about 10
metres deep.
❑ The ore is extracted by strip mining and open-pit mining methods.
❑ Once deposits are located, the top 30 cm of the soil is cleared and the ore is scooped out with
power shovels and draglines.
❑ Some mining takes place in deeper depressions, where large excavators are used to obtain the
deposits.
FACTORS INFLUENCING LOCATION OF
BAUXITE MINES IN JAMAICA
c. Commercial Reserves of Bauxite
Foreign companies have been attracted by Jamaica’s extensive commercial reserves of some 2 billion
tonnes, 114 years mining capacity. This is the 4th largest Bauxite Reserve in the world and consists of
not less than 47% alumina.

d. Availability of secondary raw material: Limestone

Limestone is necessary for the refining of bauxite into alumina and plentiful supplies are available
locally.
BENFITS OF BAUXITE INDUSTRY TO
JAMAICA
Foreign Exchange
The bauxite and alumina sectors account for more than 92%, in value, of the island’s mineral output
and, together, they account for 60% of the island’s total foreign exchange.
❑ The revenue derived from the industry is twice that obtained from the tourist industry and it has
replaced the agricultural exports of sugar and bananas as the leading revenue earner.
❑ In 2004, revenue from bauxite and alumina totalled US$901 Million.
BENFITS OF BAUXITE INDUSTRY TO
JAMAICA
Employment
Though not a large-scale employer , the industry, nevertheless, provides employment for some 4000
workers, about 1% of the total employed labour force .
❑ For workers, there has been an improvement in living standards, resulting from higher wages
offered.
❑ Additionally, business activities have been created in the towns surrounding mining areas.
TRENDS IN THE JAMAICAN BAUXITE
INDUSTRY

❑ The future looks relatively secure for the industry. The capacity of the alumina plants has been
increased as a result of recent investment. The reserves are great enough to last several decades at
current rates of use. The bauxite contains few impurities. It is soft and therefore easily mined.
Transport costs are low as a result of rail lines and ports which are in place. Jamaica is also
located close to North America and can therefore easily supply the smelters there.
CHALLENGES FACED BY JAMAICA’S
BAUXITE INDUSTRY
❑ Jamaica is finding it more and more difficult to compete with other bauxite producers around the
world. Countries such as Australia and Guinea have become important bauxite producers. Also,
aluminium smelters have been built in Europe, Asia and South America. North America is no
longer the major producer of aluminium.

❑ Output per worker is lower and their wages are higher than in other countries. Jamaica needs to
find a way to reduce the cost of mining bauxite to remain competitive. This is especially so as
transport costs have dropped. This has caused mining costs to become a more important factor than
location near a smelter.
PROBLEMS FACED BY JAMAICA’S
BAUXITE INDUSTRY
Marketing Problems
There has been an increase in the recycling of aluminium scrap metal.
❑ This saves almost 95% of smelting costs and now supplies 20% of US consumption.
❑ This has reduced the import demand for alumina.

A further problem is that in the manufacturing and construction sectors, substitutes for aluminium are
being introduced, further depressing demand.
❑ Low raw material prices are related to both the increased worldwide production of alumina and to
depressed demands.
❑ Annual production of alumina in the western world is over 40 million tonnes.
PROBLEMS FACED BY JAMAICA’S
BAUXITE INDUSTRY
Environmental Problems
❑ Due to the methods of mining (open cast), the end result of mining on the
landscape is very unsightly. Jamaican regulations ensure that the land is reclaimed
when mining in an area is complete. The topsoil is removed and preserved before
mining begins. When mining is done, the land is smoothed , the topsoil is replaced,
and grass is planted.
❑ Another issue is the disposal of the red mud produced when refining bauxite. This
mud is dumped into large “ponds”. The caustic soda contained in the red mud can
kill nearby vegetation and make the air unpleasant to breathe. It can also pollute
water sources. However, improved methods in alumina plants produce less red
mud. Also, drains under the ponds extract some caustic soda for reuse in the
alumina plants. The video below is a news report which outlines some of the
environmental issues caused by bauxite mining in Jamaica.
TASK

RESEARCH SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT THE

JAMAICAN BAUXITE INDUSTRY HAS IMPLEMENTED TO
COUNTER THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE FACING
NEXT CLASS

FORESTRY INDUSTRY IN GUYANA