Paranam | |
|---|---|
 Suralco bauxite factory at Paranam | |
  Paranam Location within Suriname | |
| Coordinates: 5°36′26″N 55°5′24″W / 5.60722°N 55.09000°W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
| District | Para District |
| Resort | Oost |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (ART) |
Paranam is a town in the Para District, Suriname. Paranam was created in 1938 for a bauxite factory. In 1965, an aluminium smelter was added. The factories closed down in 2017.
There used to be a little hamlet called Klein Curaçao at the location.[1] Paranam was created in 1938 when Alcoa began building a plant to support new mining areas along the Suriname River.[1] Built on a former plantation, the facility was called Paranam after the Para and Suriname Rivers which border the mining concession areas. The Paranam mine began operations in 1941.[2] Alcoa operates worldwide through a joint ventures, and the operation in Suriname is called The Suriname Aluminum Company (or Suralco).[3] A market and theatre were built in town, however most workers remained in Paramaribo.[4]
In 1965, an aluminium smelter was opened in Paranam which operated on the electricity generated by the Afobaka Dam.[5] The smelter converts bauxite to produce approximately 3,150 metric tons of alumina each day at this location.[6][7] Paranam became the first location in the world with an integrated system where the earth was transformed into aluminium.[8] In 2015, Alcoa announced that it was going to close the factories, because the local supplies were exhausted, and the factories could not handle the bauxite from the Bakhuis Mountains.[9] The factories closed down in 2017.[10]
Due to the deep water available on the Suriname River, Paranam is a port accessible to oceangoing ships. A pilot is required.[11]
