WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s electricity supply will remain vulnerable in the coming weeks because four generating units are currently out of service, leaving Aqualectra heavily dependent on wind energy to meet the island’s growing electricity demand. The utility says replacement parts are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Neysa Isenia, CEO of Integrated Utility Holding (IUH), said the current electricity situation requires continued attention following the controlled power interruptions experienced across Curaçao on Saturday, August 15.
According to Aqualectra, electricity demand can reach as much as 140 megawatts (MW) per day during the current hot season. When all generating units are operational, the company has approximately 150 MW of conventional generation capacity available.
However, four generating units are presently out of service because of technical failures, reducing available conventional capacity to approximately 100 MW.
Aqualectra said it had carried out necessary maintenance before the hot season specifically to ensure that all generating units would be available during the period of highest demand. Despite those preparations, the four units subsequently developed technical problems.
The company has ordered the necessary replacement parts, but said Curaçao's position as a small island creates additional logistical challenges in obtaining specialized equipment quickly. The parts are expected to arrive during the coming weeks, after which the units can gradually be returned to production.
Wind production drops sharply
The loss of conventional generating capacity means Aqualectra is currently highly dependent on renewable energy, particularly wind.
Curaçao has approximately 70 MW of installed wind-generation capacity. However, actual production can fluctuate significantly depending on weather conditions and can fall below 10 MW.
When wind production drops, Aqualectra can use its 25 MW battery storage system to help compensate for the shortfall. The batteries, however, contain a limited amount of stored energy and cannot continue supplying electricity indefinitely.
That combination of circumstances led to Saturday's controlled power interruptions.
Based on wind forecasts, Aqualectra initially expected that insufficient capacity would become a problem at around 7:00 p.m. Saturday. The company therefore alerted the public about the possibility of interruptions a day earlier.
But wind speeds declined much faster than forecast during Saturday afternoon. As a result, the stored energy in the batteries was depleted sooner than anticipated and neighborhoods began losing electricity from approximately 2:30 p.m.
Aqualectra subsequently implemented its controlled load-shedding schedule to prevent individual areas from remaining without electricity for extended periods.
Because the switching program had to begin earlier than originally expected, some neighborhoods were affected twice during the schedule.
Little margin even with all units available
Aqualectra acknowledged that even if all existing generating units were operational, the difference between maximum electricity demand and available conventional generating capacity would currently be relatively small.
With peak demand reaching approximately 140 MW and existing conventional capacity totaling around 150 MW, the system would have only about 10 MW of conventional capacity above peak demand.
The utility says electricity consumption has increased sharply over the past two to three years, driven by factors including economic and tourism growth as well as changing climatic conditions.
Aqualectra says this growing demand is one reason it has invested heavily during the past three years in additional generation and energy infrastructure.
Among those investments are additional wind-energy capacity and the battery energy storage system.
The company is also completing the Salu Power Plant, which is expected to add another 40 MW of conventional generating capacity.
According to Aqualectra, once the new plant becomes operational, Curaçao will have approximately 190 MW of conventional generation capacity. That would provide significantly more room above the current peak demand of 140 MW, even when solar and wind generation are unavailable.
The additional capacity is also intended to give the electricity system room to accommodate further economic growth.
Coming weeks remain critical
Until the four malfunctioning generating units return to service and the new power plant becomes available, Aqualectra warns that Curaçao's electricity situation will remain delicate.
The company says it is continuously monitoring available generation, electricity demand and expected wind conditions.
If projections indicate that available capacity will again be insufficient to supply the entire island, Aqualectra says it will inform the community as early as possible.
The utility acknowledged the inconvenience caused by Saturday's interruptions and apologized to customers.
Aqualectra stressed that it had made preparations before the hot season in an effort to prevent disruptions, but said the unexpected technical failures and weather conditions ultimately created circumstances it had hoped to avoid.
“The situation is not ideal, and we understand that its impact on the community is unpleasant,” the company said, adding that it regrets facing these challenges precisely when Curaçao's electricity demand is at its highest.