AQUALECTRA STAYS AHEAD OF THE GAME

With modern-day automation and technology developing at record speed, the global demand for electricity grows at an incredible rate. It appears the world has an insatiable appetite for energy – and Curaçao is no exception.

Aqualectra recognizes the need to continu­ously stay ahead of the game in order to meet the current energy demands of Curaçao’s population while anticipating future growth requirements. With its forward-thinking strat­egy, Aqualectra has successfully completed a multi-phase project for the installation of a new power plant that significantly increases the power supply available to the population. Setting an ambitious goal of increasing the island’s energy supply by 75 megawatts (MW) from the existing 42MW capacity at the Dokweg site, the first phase of the plan was to install a 35MW diesel power plant. It was completed in 2015 with a total investment of Naf 80 million. In 2019 during the second phase of the project, an extension of the diesel power plant was accomplished which increased capacity further by 40MW and required an additional Naf 71.5 million investment. With both phases of the new power plant finalized and combined with the original power plant production, the new total generation capacity at the Dokweg site increased to 117MW. In addition to the gener­ation capacity at the Dokweg site, Aqualectra has a diesel power plant on the Isla refinery site with a capacity of 30MW, bringing the overall total capacity to 147MW in diesel engines. These diesel engines serve as the main source of elec­tricity to the island, with a further 59MW capac­ity provided by solar and wind power. Although the average energy demand is approximately 115MW, there are also significant fluctuations due to various factors such as weather, tem­perature, major festivals and holidays. The newly increased capacity positions Aqualectra to be highly prepared to handle changes in consumption.

In the third quarter of 2017, an agreement was signed with Wärtsila for the installation of the second phase of the expansion project which amounted to a Naf 71.5 million investment. Wärtsila, a company based in Finland, is one of the leading producers of diesel engines and power plants in the world. The project entailed extensive testing both in-factory and on-site, requiring 13 months for completion. During the project’s peak months, there were 110 local workers and engineers employed under the supervision and management of Wärtsila’s team of expert engineers. The size and scope of the project was massive, with an initial invest­ment of over Naf 2 million just to prepare the site for the diesel power plant. After success­fully completing the Factory Acceptance Test phase in Finland, the engines were shipped to Curaçao and then assembled on-site with great efficiency and professionalism. The first test of the newly-installed diesel power plant, called the ‘first smoke’, was conducted within a year of the project’s inception in April 2019 with Wärtsila almost breaking their own record for installation. They continued to manage the plant for an additional month to ensure all further tests and operations went smoothly, and then successfully delivered the project to Aqualectra on May 6, 2019, transferring all man­agement of the site to the control of the local power company.

The new engines are classified as Dual Fuel engines which have the capacity to use both liquid fuel (light and heavy) and natural gas (LNG). Currently the plant is using liquid fuel only as Aqualectra pursues new options for the import of LNG to the island. Rudolf Garmes, Manager of Power Supply Chain at Aqualectra, is actively exploring opportunities to import LNG as he states, “I hope that within the next 2 – 3 years we will have natural gas on the island.” He points out, “This would mean much cleaner emissions and less intense maintenance of the engines.”

Aqualectra has not missed a beat with efforts to provide electricity through renewable sources and production methods that are less harm­ful to the environment. Currently they source 15MW of solar energy, with 13MW derived from distributed generation throughout the island and a further 2MW from the implementation of a creative program that utilizes the rooftops of several schools. The project was an initiative of the government whereby the solar panels would be government-owned and Aqualectra would essentially purchase the electricity from the government, the proceeds of which would go directly to all schools throughout the island. Currently the project features solar panels on five schools and hopes to double the number of schools in the future. In addition, Aqualectra is pursuing the opportunity with a request for proposal to companies to install solar panels on building sites managed by CURINDE (at Freezone New Haven, Industrial Park Brievengat and Freezone Hato) as well as on the rooftops of all major Aqualectra buildings, thereby further increasing the capacity of solar energy by an additional 15MW. Garmes explains the benefits of installing solar parks on rooftops as he points out, “There’s actually a lot of roof space that is not being used for anything. So, you save land, save energy (by keeping those buildings cool), and in general you increase the value of the location.” He adds, “We haven’t seen it on this scale anywhere else in the world as yet, and we just think it’s an all-round great project.”

Simultaneously, Aqualectra has been a pio­neering force in the Caribbean region in utili­zation of wind power, with 27% of the island’s annual demand supplied through its three wind farms located on the rugged north coast of the island for a capacity of 46.5MW. The company is currently looking into the possibility of a fourth wind farm as this environmentally clean and renewable resource would further reduce our island’s carbon footprint and fossil fuel dependency.  Aqualectra hopes to continue the ambitious momentum towards further development and advancement on the energy needs for the island. Never resting on its laurels, Aqualectra will strive to implement its visionary strategy to stay ahead of the game.