WILLEMSTAD – An independent investigation by the Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC) has concluded that Aqualectra has made significant improvements to the island's electricity system following a series of major power outages, including island-wide blackouts in previous years.
According to RAC, the reliability and stability of Curaçao's electricity supply are critical to both the community and the island's economy. The widespread outages prompted Aqualectra to conduct extensive internal investigations into the causes of the blackouts.
The findings of those investigations, together with the recommended improvements, were independently evaluated by RAC during 2023 and 2024 with the assistance of international energy consultancy ENGIE/Laborelec, a globally recognized expert in power systems.
Following another island-wide blackout on August 27, 2025, RAC launched an additional investigation to determine how much progress had been made in implementing the previously recommended improvements. The review also examined the circumstances surrounding the 2025 outage and evaluated Aqualectra's power restoration process.
In late November 2025, RAC and ENGIE/Laborelec visited Aqualectra's facilities, holding technical discussions with company officials and inspecting various parts of the electricity network.
The investigation found measurable progress in three key areas: system security, electricity generation and grid stability, and the company's technical organization and operational procedures.
Among the improvements identified was the development and implementation of a substantially revised system protection philosophy designed to improve the resilience of the electricity network.
The report also notes that Aqualectra has installed a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to strengthen grid management and has reorganized its technical operations to better support the electricity system.
According to RAC, many of the critical recommendations made after previous blackouts have now been addressed and continue to contribute to a more stable and reliable electricity supply for Curaçao.
The regulator said it will continue monitoring the utility to ensure further improvements are implemented as the island's electricity system evolves.