Jamalco is a joint venture between Century Aluminum and Clarendon Alumina Production Limited with a focus on bauxite mining and alumina production. Jamalco started as a bauxite mining venture by Alcoa in 1959 and exported its first shipment of bauxite in 1963. The venture began alumina production at a new refinery in Halse Hall, Clarendon in 1972 with a production capacity of 500,000 metric tonnes per year (mtpy), which it exported from its port facility at Rocky Point.
The refinery’s capacity was upgraded to 1 million mtpy in 1999 and then to 1.25 million mtpy in 2003. The completion of a further upgrade in March 2007 lifted the production capacity of the refinery to 1.42 million mtpy.
In May 2023, Century Aluminum Company acquired General Alumina Jamaica Limited, which owns 55 percent of the joint venture and Clarendon Alumina Production Limited retains its 45 percent ownership of the joint venture.
Jamalco mines bauxite and refines it into alumina before it is exported from its port at Rocky Point, Clarendon. On average, 2.5 tonnes of bauxite produce one tonne of alumina. The alumina is exported to aluminium smelters where it takes around two tonnes of alumina to produce one tonne of aluminium metal.
Jamalco’s bauxite mines are located in South Manchester on the Mount Oliphant plateau and in Harmons Valley. The railhead from which bauxite is trammed to the refinery is located at St. Jago in Clarendon. The refinery is located at Halse Hall in Clarendon and the port from which alumina is shipped is located at Rocky Point also in Clarendon.
Jamalco is committed to being “The Best Alumina Producer”. This means that Jamalco will relentlessly pursue continual improvement to:
Jamalco is a joint venture between General Alumina Jamaica Limited and Clarendon Alumina Production Limited with a focus on bauxite mining and alumina production. Jamalco started as a bauxite mining venture by Alcoa in 1959 and exported its first shipment of bauxite in 1963. The venture began alumina production at a new refinery in Halse Hall, Clarendon in 1972 with a production capacity of 500,000 metric tonnes per year (mtpy), which it exported from its port facility at Rocky Point.
The refinery’s capacity was upgraded to 1 million mtpy in 1999 and then to 1.25 million mtpy in 2003. The completion of a further upgrade in March 2007 lifted the production capacity of the refinery to 1.42 million mtpy.
In May 2023, Century Aluminum Company acquired General Alumina Jamaica Limited, which owns 55 percent of the joint venture and Clarendon Alumina Production Limited retains its 45 percent ownership of the joint venture.
