WILLEMSTAD - Given the information about blackouts in Curaçao and the recommendations from the Laborelec/Engie report, it appears that Aqualectra is facing significant technical and operational challenges. The fact that an investment of 750 million guilders is needed to improve the electricity and water infrastructure and comply with the recommendations indicates a considerable backlog in maintenance and modernization of the network.
The focal points identified by Laborelec/Engie, such as the need to improve protection configuration and philosophy, point to fundamental shortcomings in network management and monitoring. The absence of adequate simulations and analyses prior to the blackouts underscores a potential lack of preparation and understanding of possible network failures.
The recommendation to store protection configuration in a database and verify it through simulations is a crucial step towards improving operational reliability. This suggests that the current system may not be adequately documented or regularly tested, which is essential for effective electricity network management.
Furthermore, the emphasis on examining the protection of wind turbines and the control parameters of diesel generators indicates an awareness of the complexity that renewable energy sources bring to network stability. Addressing these specific points is crucial to ensure a stable transition to more sustainable energy sources.
The need to investigate how to limit the output of diesel units during stability issues, rather than disconnecting them from the grid, indicates that Aqualectra's current response mechanism to network disturbances may be too drastic and leads to unnecessary interruptions.
Taken together, it seems that Aqualectra has a complex path forward to address not only the immediate technical shortcomings but also to implement a more proactive and advanced approach to network management. Successfully implementing the recommendations of Laborelec/Engie will be essential to improve the reliability of the energy supply in Curaçao and prevent future blackouts.