Revolutionizing Energy Management for Curaçao

Aqualectra and Wärtsilä partner on Battery Energy Storage System

Willemstad, May 20, 2024 - Aqualectra and Wärtsilä have taken a significant step towards a sustainable energy future for Curaçao by the signing of a Battery Energy Storage System Agreement. As a part of Aqualectra’s ongoing efforts to continue improving its services and better serve the people of Curaçao, this agreement aims to fully revolutionize energy management in Curaçao by 2030, ensuring reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for the island.

The implementation of a Battery Energy Storage System will allow Curaçao to collect energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy and store it using advanced battery storage technologies. This stored energy can be released to mitigate the intermittency of wind power and ensure grid stability. The Battery Energy Storage System will contribute to a reduction of power outages on the island and optimizes the use of renewable energy and thereby lowers greenhouse gas emissions. This system also brings us a myriad of economic benefits, such as a cutback in peak demand charges and low electricity bills for consumers and businesses in Curaçao. In addition to the Battery Energy Storage System, Aqualectra has also acquired an Energy Management System to further improve energy production and distribution.

Negotiations for this Battery Energy Storage System began in January of this year, when Aqualectra’s management team traveled to the Wärtsiliä headquarters in Finland with a vision, firm determination and clear objectives to make it all happen. In less than three months, the determination and diligence of the Aqualectra team and the collaboration and commitment of the Wärtsilä team bore its fruits, the agreement was finalized.

To further highlight the impact of their cooperation, the Aqualectra team has been invited by Wärtsilä to take part in panel discussions at the Chief Executive Officers & Leadership CARILEC Conference 2024, held from May 19th to 22nd in Puerto Rico. This conference gathers visionaries, leaders and change-makers from all over the world to chart the course for a brighter, sustainable energy future. CARILEC, the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation, is an association of electric energy solution providers and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean region but also in Central and South America and globally. CARILEC offers its over 110 members continuous opportunities for information, training, capacity building, and networking.

The partnership between Aqualectra and Wärtsilä underscores Aqualectra’s firm determination to enhance the quality of life for the people of Curaçao through innovation, determination and collaboration. This agreement builds on a trusted partnership that began over 27 years ago, with Wärtsilä previously building power plants for Aqualectra in both 2015 and 2019. Anders Lindberg, Wärtsilä’s Executive Vice President of Energy, shed light on the collaboration moving forward; “We are confident this partnership will lead to great success for both of our organizations. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration built on trust.” After signing the Energy Storage System Agreement, Neysa Isenia, Aqualectra's Managing Director and CFO, also emphasized this sentiment of collaboration and its value in enhancing the quality of life for the community of Curaçao stating, “We strive to maintain a balance that ensures everything we do is also to the benefit of the community we serve.”