Jamalco plant in Clarendon, co-owned by Alcoa and the Government of Jamaica. - File

The Jamalco alumina refinery in Clarendon has not yet resumed production as the company said it was still assessing the impact of Hurricane Dean on its facilities.

Operations at the 1.4 million metric tonne refinery was shut down last Saturday due to Hurricane Dean, which pounded the island late Sunday afternoon into the evening.

"We are unable to say anything about damage sustained," said Brian Doy, Jamalco's public affairs manager, adding that all areas of operations were still being assessed.

It is also uncertain when the company will restart operations as Doy was unable to give a schedule. He said any estimation of the hurricane's impact on production and related financial losses would be reported after the full assessment is done.

All operations at Jamalco, including the mine, port and refinery were temporarily suspended because of Hurricane Dean as part of the company's safety measures.

The overall impact of the hurricane on the bauxite sector was not immediately available.

Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) is the majority shareholder in the Jamalco refinery with 55 per cent and the remaining 45 per cent owned by the Government. Jamalco's refinery, located in Halse Hall, is a primary producer of aluminium, fabricated aluminium and alumina products for such markets as those in the aerospace, automotives, packaging, building and construction, com-mercial transportation and other industries.

AWAC recorded strong second-quarter profits of US$716 million this year, the second-best quarterly performance in the company's history.

sabrina.gordon@gleanerjm.com