WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s electricity supply remains in a delicate position as Aqualectra continues repairs to generating units while the gas turbine at Curaçao Refinery Utilities (CRU) remains unavailable. However, the utility company said Tuesday that it has so far managed to avoid load shedding this week.
In an update issued September 29, Aqualectra said its technicians have been working day and night to complete repairs to the remaining generating units and restore the electricity grid to a more stable situation.
Until those units return to service, however, the company warned that electricity supply requires close attention.
Aqualectra said it has generally been able to balance production from its available conventional generators with wind energy and battery storage, preventing customers from experiencing interruptions related to the current capacity shortage.
The company revealed that it asked CRU in August to start a gas turbine capable of supplying up to 13 megawatts of additional generating capacity.
That turbine, however, is still unavailable.
According to Aqualectra, the absence of the CRU unit means the electricity system currently depends heavily on renewable energy to meet demand at certain times.
That dependence becomes particularly challenging when wind conditions weaken.
Aqualectra stressed that weather conditions are outside its control and that wind speeds can fluctuate from day to day. When winds are weak, Curaçao’s wind turbines cannot generate enough electricity to make up for the shortage in conventional generating capacity.
This can leave Aqualectra temporarily unable to produce enough electricity to meet demand across the island.
Despite those challenges, the utility said it had not needed to activate its load-shedding system at any point so far this week.
Aqualectra said it continues to monitor the electricity system constantly and is using all available resources to maintain service to customers.
The company nevertheless warned that load shedding could still become necessary in the coming days if available generating capacity temporarily falls below demand.
If that happens, Aqualectra said electricity would be disconnected in different areas to keep the overall grid stable and prevent one group of customers from carrying the burden for an extended period.
Customers affected by load shedding would be without electricity for a maximum of two hours, according to the utility.
Aqualectra also emphasized that not every electricity outage should be interpreted as load shedding.
Technical failures or other disruptions can also cause customers to temporarily lose electricity. When a major outage affects a large number of customers or is expected to last for an extended period, Aqualectra said it will provide information through its Facebook page.
The latest update follows several days of concern over Curaçao’s generating capacity. Aqualectra has been repairing diesel generating units while simultaneously dealing with the unavailability of the CRU gas turbine, leaving the system more dependent than usual on wind generation and battery storage.
The company said repairs are continuing as it works toward returning the electricity grid to full stability.