WILLEMSTAD – The redevelopment of Buskabaai could increase Curaçao's available harbor capacity by approximately one-third, transforming a heavily polluted industrial area into new space for docks, piers, logistics and other harbor-related activities.
The ambitious project is one of the initiatives being developed through the Programmatische Maritieme Tafels (PMT), a partnership involving major public and private organizations operating around the Schottegat.
Asphalt Lake
PMT secretary Peter Martens presented the plans during an August 29 excursion organized by the Association of Dutch Caribbean Economists.
According to Martens, developing Buskabaai would significantly expand Curaçao's available harbor infrastructure in terms of docks, piers and industrial land. Studies are currently underway to prepare the project, with the first visible results expected around the beginning of 2030.
However, developing Buskabaai involves dealing with one of Curaçao's most significant industrial legacies.
The site covers approximately 88 hectares and includes the well-known asphalt lakes created after the area was used during World War II as a dumping ground for petroleum products that could not be used.
Buskabaai director Ramsas Martina explained the ongoing rehabilitation of the area during the economists' visit.
Asphalt Recovery Company is removing material from the contaminated lakes and processing the oil residues into usable products.
Approximately 15 hectares have already been cleaned and filled, according to the Economenclub. The reclaimed land can subsequently be used for industrial or logistics activities.
The project therefore combines environmental remediation with economic redevelopment: land that for decades represented the environmental consequences of Curaçao's petroleum industry could eventually become part of a new maritime and logistics economy.
For the Association of Dutch Caribbean Economists, Buskabaai forms part of a much larger opportunity surrounding the Schottegat.
After visiting 2Bays, C.D.M. Holding, Damen Shiprepair Curaçao, Buskabaai and other organizations involved in the area, the economists said they were convinced that harbor-related, maritime, industrial and logistics activities have the potential to develop into an important economic pillar for Curaçao.
But the organization also issued a warning: having projects and opportunities is not enough.
Economic diversification requires time, capital, energy and a government capable of making decisions and maintaining a clear long-term vision, the Economenclub said. It also stressed that public and private organizations must work in the same direction.
The economists urged Curaçao to begin implementing projects now and facilitate start-ups and scale-ups, warning that delaying decisions could cause the island to miss emerging opportunities in regional shipping, offshore energy, logistics and industrial services.