#Kingston, 31 December, 2019 – Jamaica – The Mines and Geology Division in the Ministry of Transport and Mining has embarked on a project for the development of the manufactured-sand industry.
Speaking
in an interview with JIS News, Deputy
Commissioner of Mines, Stacey Plummer, said that the objective is to provide a useful
substitute for river sand,
due to the challenges being experienced in sourcing the natural material.
“There
is not a lot of material in the rivers because of the drought and other factors,
so we have to find another source of construction material,” she noted. “Exploration has been done and we are now working
on getting additional investments for manufactured sand as a replacement for
what we are not able to naturally produce,” she added.
Mrs.
Plummer noted that some companies have already begun work in this area, with limestone
and volcanic sources being utilised to produce fine aggregate.
“So
far, there is Jamaica Aggregates, which is doing some crushing [of volcanic
rocks]. They also purchase from other suppliers and crush the material to
produce sand,” she told JIS News.
In
addition, Hodges Minerals out of St. Elizabeth and Lydford Mining Company in
St. Ann are crushing limestone to sand-sized particles in their operations.
Mrs.
Plummer explained that the process of crushing volcanic rocks requires specialised
equipment, as the material is not as soft as limestone. In the case of limestone, she noted that the
mineral comes in different consistencies, which means that the type of
equipment used for crushing varies.
“In
some instances, they (operators) would have to buy new equipment, so it’s the
financing of the new venture that is needed,” she said.
She
noted that accessing financing for the sector has been challenging “but you
have some players who are maximising what they are doing”.
The
Mines and Geology Division represents the geological research and development
portfolio of the Ministry, and administers the mining and quarrying laws of
Jamaica. It monitors all prospecting,
exploration, mining and quarrying operations and investigates, appraises and
communicates information on all aspects of the geology of the island.
Contact: Peta-Gay Hodges
Release: JIS