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Jamalco pressing ahead with planning approvals for new dock - But says it may never be built
published: Friday | March 2, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody vsvsd="true">
Brian Doy, manager, public affairs, communications and government relations, at Jamalco. - file </DIV>
Jamalco has plans to build a temporary dock along the Rocky Point, Clarendon, coast for the offloading of new equipment and materials transported by barge for the US$1.6 million expansion of the 37-year-old refinery.
The bauxite/alumina company operates a shipping port at Rocky Point, which is linked by rail to the refinery at Halse Hall, but says it is not currently rigged for barges.
"Construction of the temporary barge facility at Rocky Point was anticipated as part of the major expansion project at Jamalco's Clarendon alumina refinery," said Brian Doy, Jamalco's public affairs and communications manager.
"The facility would enable large equipment to be transported to the refinery using our rail system rather than on public roads."
The proposed 76.2 metre by 30.5 metre dock, which is yet to hurdle environmental and planning approvals, is designed as a stand-alone facility to be constructed next to the existing port. The project involves a new 244 metre (800 foot) rail spur to link with the existing rail line, a dock equipped with a 600 metric tonne crane, and access roads.
The construction requires the dredging of sediments to a depth of 5.5 metres or 18 feet to accommodate the dock and "modification" of the mangroves, which generally buffer the land against wave action.
On Tuesday, Doy said that like the bigger project, the dock would only be built if Government meets its commitment to secure LNG to operate the expanded refinery, and if it gets the go-ahead to sell excess power from the co-generation plant it will build to power the refinery, into the national grid.
"Jamalco does not have immediate plans to proceed with this temporary barge facility as the major expansion remains on hold," he said.
EIA process continued
"However, we have continued the EIA process in anticipation of it proceeding some time in the future." Doy did not comment on queries on the size of the investment earmarked for the dock; the Environmental Impact Assessment commissioned by Jamalco from Conrad Douglas and Associates said only it would be a small portion of the refinery upgrade cost.
The Alberto Fabrini-managed Jamalco anticipates that it will need to dredge within a 34,560 square metre space, and that the activity will require removal of 138,240 to 691,199 cubic metres of spoil, to accommodate the dock and allow the barges to manoeuvre.
"Shoreline stability will be maintained and through the construction of a sheet pile wall backfilled with soil," said the environmental report.
That activity is expected change the profile of the shoreline, pushing the elevation to 1.5-1.8 metres higher than sea level.
888 ringer crane
Jamalco will install a Manitowoc 888 ringer crane 50 feet from the wharf to unload the barges, sending an estimated 3,700 tons of live and dead weight to the soil. The company says it may add one or two timber mats 0.3 metres thick under the crane pads to improve soil bearing.
The refinery at full capacity churns out 1.5 million tonnes of alumina per year, but the new investment financed by joint owner Alcoa will almost double output to 2.8 million tonnes.
The US$120 million 'Early Works' component of the refinery expansion, said Doy, is near completion, and will boost Jamalco's capacity by 150,000 tonnes.
Alcoa and the Jamaican government are equal partners in Jamalco, but the new capital to be injecte
published: Friday | March 2, 2007 <DIV class=KonaBody vsvsd="true">
Brian Doy, manager, public affairs, communications and government relations, at Jamalco. - file </DIV>
Jamalco has plans to build a temporary dock along the Rocky Point, Clarendon, coast for the offloading of new equipment and materials transported by barge for the US$1.6 million expansion of the 37-year-old refinery.
The bauxite/alumina company operates a shipping port at Rocky Point, which is linked by rail to the refinery at Halse Hall, but says it is not currently rigged for barges.
"Construction of the temporary barge facility at Rocky Point was anticipated as part of the major expansion project at Jamalco's Clarendon alumina refinery," said Brian Doy, Jamalco's public affairs and communications manager.
"The facility would enable large equipment to be transported to the refinery using our rail system rather than on public roads."
The proposed 76.2 metre by 30.5 metre dock, which is yet to hurdle environmental and planning approvals, is designed as a stand-alone facility to be constructed next to the existing port. The project involves a new 244 metre (800 foot) rail spur to link with the existing rail line, a dock equipped with a 600 metric tonne crane, and access roads.
The construction requires the dredging of sediments to a depth of 5.5 metres or 18 feet to accommodate the dock and "modification" of the mangroves, which generally buffer the land against wave action.
On Tuesday, Doy said that like the bigger project, the dock would only be built if Government meets its commitment to secure LNG to operate the expanded refinery, and if it gets the go-ahead to sell excess power from the co-generation plant it will build to power the refinery, into the national grid.
"Jamalco does not have immediate plans to proceed with this temporary barge facility as the major expansion remains on hold," he said.
EIA process continued
"However, we have continued the EIA process in anticipation of it proceeding some time in the future." Doy did not comment on queries on the size of the investment earmarked for the dock; the Environmental Impact Assessment commissioned by Jamalco from Conrad Douglas and Associates said only it would be a small portion of the refinery upgrade cost.
The Alberto Fabrini-managed Jamalco anticipates that it will need to dredge within a 34,560 square metre space, and that the activity will require removal of 138,240 to 691,199 cubic metres of spoil, to accommodate the dock and allow the barges to manoeuvre.
"Shoreline stability will be maintained and through the construction of a sheet pile wall backfilled with soil," said the environmental report.
That activity is expected change the profile of the shoreline, pushing the elevation to 1.5-1.8 metres higher than sea level.
888 ringer crane
Jamalco will install a Manitowoc 888 ringer crane 50 feet from the wharf to unload the barges, sending an estimated 3,700 tons of live and dead weight to the soil. The company says it may add one or two timber mats 0.3 metres thick under the crane pads to improve soil bearing.
The refinery at full capacity churns out 1.5 million tonnes of alumina per year, but the new investment financed by joint owner Alcoa will almost double output to 2.8 million tonnes.
The US$120 million 'Early Works' component of the refinery expansion, said Doy, is near completion, and will boost Jamalco's capacity by 150,000 tonnes.
Alcoa and the Jamaican government are equal partners in Jamalco, but the new capital to be injecte