Talks Begin on Reopening Alpart Refinery, With First Phase Targeted for June 2027

Kingston, Jamaica, 14 September 2026

The Government is in talks with the owners of the idle Alpart alumina refinery at Nain, St Elizabeth, about starting work this year to rehabilitate and restart the plant, in a move that could bring jobs back to a stretch of south-central Jamaica that has felt its absence.

Mining Minister Floyd Green disclosed the discussions on 4 September, during an awards ceremony for the Jamaica Bauxite Institute’s Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship at a hotel in St Andrew.

A phased restart

Mr Green said he had met representatives of Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company (JISCO), which operates Alpart. The company has set out a reopening in stages, with the first stage targeted for completion by June 2027. That opening phase alone is estimated to cost about US$490 million.

The minister said a restart would give the economy a considerable lift and help breathe new life into communities in St Elizabeth and Manchester, where residents still remember the activity the refinery once generated. He expressed the hope that employment in that belt would recover.

Bauxite still a pillar of the economy

According to Mr Green, the bauxite industry earned Jamaica US$612 million last year. Three companies currently operate in the sector, which he described as the best-paying industry on average in the country, directly employing more than 2,000 people and supporting at least 10,000 more jobs indirectly.

He also spoke positively about Discovery Bauxite in St Ann, which he toured recently, pointing to fresh investment there backed by the United States Government. To protect the industry’s future, he said he had instructed the Jamaica Bauxite Institute to work closely with mining companies on improving efficiency and coping with global market conditions.

What it could mean locally

Large industrial employers shape local housing markets. When a plant of Alpart’s size is running, it tends to support demand for rented rooms and houses, small businesses and services in surrounding towns; when it closes, that demand can fall away. Homeowners, landlords and prospective buyers in St Elizabeth and Manchester will therefore be watching closely to see whether the talks turn into a firm timetable, and how many workers the first phase will need.

For now, the restart remains at the discussion stage, with the June 2027 target the key date to watch.