The alumina plant—Linden’s enduring landmark

May 24, 2008 News

Established in 1961, almost a century after the famous Waterwheel at Christianburg, at a cost of $65 million, the old Alumina Plant at Spieghtland (Mackenzie) Linden is most likely the most expensive and enduring landmark in Linden today.

Considered the largest project to be undertaken in Guyana at that time, the “superstructure” became a reality after 1700 men laboured for more than four years to construct it. Alcan’s Guyana subsidiary, Sprostons Limited with construction Manager Phillip H. Morgan, was tasked with executing the project.
According to the booklet, “The Demerara Bauxite Company”, by Duncan Campbell, building the plant was a fit challenge for Morgan’s skill and experience (he built the first bridge across the Demerara River at Hope) as the designated site was a virtual swamp, and individual buildings with their contents would weigh up to 45,000 tonnes.

Some 1,000 men reportedly worked for six weeks to do the initial clearing of the land before bulldozers could gain access to remove the huge trees.

After the land was cleared, drained and compacted, “bauxitic” rock was brought in for the construction of seven miles of access road. The acquisition of the heavy construction machinery necessitated the building of workshops to service them.

A temporary wharf, which would soon be replaced with a permanent one, facilitated the movement of the equipment from the ships to the site. The permanent wharf, which was later constructed, and still stands to this day, ostensibly required 500 greenheart piles to secure its foundations.
Additionally, thousands of piles would be used on the plant site itself. Forty-eight miles of piles were reportedly driven into the ground, and it was noted that upon completion, the Alumina Plant extended and contained more steel below ground, than above.
A million cubic feet of reinforced concrete slabs, was purportedly utilized as bases for the numerous steel tanks, which are the “dominant features” of this colossal Alumina Plant.
At the ostentatious opening, on March 28, 1961 then Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Cheddi Jagan, “pulled the lever that started a loader, and the crowd cheered as the white powdery alumina cascaded into the hold of the vessel “Sun Henderson”, the first ship to take Guyana’s alumina to world markets.”
In his congratulatory speech, Jagan remarked: “Aside from the intricate technical and engineering aspects of this Alumina Plant, what impressed me most was to see Guyanese at all levels, doing highly skilled jobs. Demba is to be congratulated for its Trade School and its efficiently run workshops, where training for such skills has been made possible.” (The Demerara Bauxite Company 1916-1971by Duncan Campbell)
Today the Trade School, now known as the Linden Technical Institute, still trains young men (and women too) in technical vocations, and receives some financial and other assistance from the current Bauxite management, Bosai Minerals Group. But whether the graduates of this institution will get the opportunity to engage in building anything remotely resembling the old Alumina Plant is left to be seen.
But then again, maybe that opportunity might soon present itself if the current feasibility studies being conducted by Bosai Minerals Guyana Group, with the view to resuscitate the plant, prove to be a viable one. (Enid Joaquin)