WILLEMSTAD – A floating breakwater could, under the right conditions, contribute to protecting Curaçao’s coastline from wave action and erosion. Dutch engineering firm Blue21 reached that conclusion following a feasibility study at Marie Pampoen and recommends testing the concept through a controlled pilot project approximately 30 meters long.
The study was financially supported by Partners for Water, a Dutch government program implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The project received funding in 2025 under the title “Floating Breakwaters for coastal erosion control – Curaçao.”
The research therefore concerns a feasibility study conducted by Blue21 with Dutch government funding. Publicly available project information does not identify which Curaçao organization acted as the local client or would become the eventual beneficiary of the project.
Partners for Water requirements for feasibility studies, however, call for identifying a potential local recipient of the technology and establishing a realistic path toward a possible pilot project.
Blue21 examined wave conditions, technical feasibility, environmental effects and economic considerations at Marie Pampoen.
According to the engineering firm, the area presents particular challenges because of its narrow reef shelf, existing coral, changing wave directions and limited space for conventional coastal protection measures.
Blue21 consequently developed a design specifically for the location. The proposed structure consists of two floating pontoons connected underwater by a truss structure.
The space between the pontoons is intended to maintain water circulation while reducing the amount of seabed that would remain permanently shaded. A conventional closed floating breakwater could potentially block considerably more sunlight from reaching the seabed.
The underwater structure could eventually also provide space for coral nursery components or other marine habitats. Blue21 cautions, however, that these potential ecological benefits would first have to be demonstrated under real-world conditions.
Model calculations conducted during the study indicate that the floating structure could substantially reduce wave energy locally.
That does not necessarily mean waves reaching the coastline would decline by the same amount. The effectiveness of the system depends heavily on where and how the breakwater is positioned, its distance from shore and the shape of the reef.
For that reason, Blue21 cautions against viewing the concept as a simple replacement for conventional coastal protection.
One of its potential advantages is flexibility. Unlike some permanent coastal structures, a floating breakwater can be adjusted or removed, requires less permanent use of the seabed and can serve as a testing platform for measuring both technical performance and environmental impacts.
During the feasibility study, Blue21 visited Curaçao twice and held discussions with government representatives, marine researchers, diving schools, coastal specialists and organizations involved in coral restoration.
The company says these local discussions contributed to the decision to pursue a design with the smallest possible ecological footprint rather than simply adapting an existing Dutch solution.
However, the publicly available project information does not identify the local organizations involved in those discussions. It also remains unclear which Curaçao entity would be responsible for implementing, managing or co-financing a future pilot.
Instead of immediately constructing a full-scale floating breakwater, Blue21 recommends beginning with a controlled structure of approximately 30 meters.
Such a pilot could measure actual reductions in wave action, the behavior of the structure under Curaçao conditions, installation methods and possible effects on coral and the wider marine environment.
Only after those results are available should a decision be made on whether the technology is suitable for larger-scale application.
Blue21 also stresses that floating breakwaters should not be regarded as a stand-alone solution to Curaçao’s coastal challenges. Improvements in water quality, coral reef restoration, coastal adaptation and more resilient infrastructure would still be necessary as part of a broader coastal protection strategy.
Before a pilot can proceed, a suitable testing location must be selected and it must be determined which Curaçao organization would own and finance the project.
Based on the publicly available information, it is also not clear how much Dutch subsidy funding was allocated specifically to the feasibility study or which Curaçao entity was identified as the potential beneficiary in the original funding application.