Ecopark should propel Curaçao ahead in renewable energy

The Bluerise firm headquartered in Delft, the Netherlands, has its sights on Curaçao to set up projects for renewable energy to perform studies on international energy issues, agricultural projects and for further scientific research at the University of Curaçao. This Ecopark project will provide Curaçao with a great advantage over the rest of the region for making the island less dependent on fossil fuels. Last August, representatives of Bluerise and their local partners gave a presentation of their plans. Applying Thermal Energy Conversion (TEC), their own invention, they want to pump chilled water from the depths of the sea off the coast of Curaçao and use it for cooling the airport terminal and surroundings. The water obtained from condensation can be easily used for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables for their own consumption and possibly even for export. The University of Curaçao can be of great help in the field of scientific research in this area. Curaçao is not the only place where such a project can be realized, but from a survey of conditions, this particular island came out on top as the best for the application of this technology. TEC has already been put to practice for some decades in places like Hawaii, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.