Unlocking Dominica’s pozzolans
Quarry operator Carib Sand & Stone is preparing an extensive expansion project at its Pointe-Michel mine on the Caribbean island of Dominica. The expansion is expected to help meet the growing demand for supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in the Americas market. By Jean-Yves Bonnaire, Carib Sand & Stone Ltd, Dominica.
The relatively abundant and accessible natural pozzolan resources offer further opportunities
Carib Sand & Stone Ltd is an independent quarry operator, operating the Solomon Pointe-Michel quarry located on the southwest coast of Dominica. Operations at the quarry started in 2006 when the company signed a 30-year agreement with the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica for the mining rights.
Cement focus
From the project’s inception the company has targeted the cement industry as the main pillar of its development. The chemical (pozzolanic) footprint of the raw material contained in the deposit has made this development not only possible but also increasingly valuable to today’s regional cement industry.
In its first nine years of operation, the company has served several cement manufacturers in the Caribbean (Barbados and Haiti) as well as in the northern part of South America (Colombia and Suriname). In spite of an early investment in a privately-operated shiploading facility, expansion of sales has been hindered by limited mining capacity due to existing assets and the size of ships that can be loaded at the port.
