Jamaican Government Placing Increased Focus on Bauxite

• Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, recently announced that the Government will intensify its focus on the bauxite and alumina sector to enhance efficiency and promote growth. This statement was made during the Bauxite/Alumina Industry Day at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) in St. Andrew on May 30, 2025.
• Minister Green acknowledged the industry's decline over recent decades but emphasised its continued significance to the economy. He highlighted a 4% increase in aluminium output for 2024, which is estimated to have increased to 1.337Mn tonnes, up from 1.286Mn tonnes in 2023. Additionally, Jamaica collected approximately $623Mn from bauxite royalties in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, marking a considerable increase from the previous year.
• The Minister indicated that the Government aims to play a more proactive role in the sector's growth. He pointed to the need to assess the quality of bauxite reserves, address issues related to ageing infrastructure and invest in improvements to increase operational efficiency.
• Furthermore, Jamaica's red mud, which is believed to contain around 40Mn tons of iron oxides and rare earth elements, presents a potential source of revenue for the mining sector. This, therefore, increases the need for Jamaica to seek partnerships for investing in the extraction of these rare earth elements for the benefit of the population.
• Several companies are already taking steps to enhance their operations. For instance, JAMALCO is focusing on strategic investments to streamline processes related to bauxite and energy generation, while Windalco is working on improving its haul road.
• Further, Andre Lindsay, General Manager of the JBI, noted that the Institute is reorienting its efforts toward researching the extraction of rare earth elements from bauxite residue and aims to direct work in this area throughout the fiscal year.

(Source: JIS)