Jamaica’s limestone mining industry has secured the country’s first shipment of construction-grade limestone to the United States.
According to the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) the Lydford Mining Company in the northern parish of St. Ann will ship 36,000 metric tons of limestone that will be used in the production of concrete aggregates in Savannah, Georgia.
As the most widely used building material in the world, limestone is used in the construction of roads, concrete, and other building materials.
Limestone is an important source of construction aggregate due to its strength, versatility, and low thermal expansion. It is used in concrete production (producing a stronger concrete less prone to expansion); used in asphalt production (hydrated lime reduces cracking and stripping); road construction (as a road base due to its strength and durability); new construction (in home construction under concrete slabs that form the foundation for homes); erosion control (as riprap along rivers, streams, drainage, and road edges); and soil stabilization.
JAMPRO noted that loading has started for the first shipment involving 1,000 trucks and represents the start of a series of regular shipments into the south-eastern US markets.
JAMPRO notes that the global market size for limestone was valued at US $73.51billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US $113.6 billion by 2028.
It adds that the global projection bodes well for Jamaica.
CMC/
