Technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted by Aqualectra, Curaҫao’s government owned utilities company, to provide engineering, procurement and construction in support of the country’s decarbonisation programme. This latest order is for a new 38.4 MW power plant that will be capable of providing efficient grid balancing as the level of renewable energy in the system continues to increase.
The new Salu plant will initially provide baseload power but will later be utilised in a grid balancing role as part of the utility’s decarbonisation focus. It will operate with four Wärtsilä 20V32 engines and is expected immediately to become one of Aqualectra’s most fuel-efficient power plants.
Earlier this year Aqualectra’s placed an order for Wärtsilä’s battery energy storage system and its GEMS digital energy platform. The combined system will enable the expansion of renewable energy capacity, an important step towards a sustainable energy future for the island. Together with the new power plant, it is expected to provide grid stability and reliability, reduce energy surpluses, and help mitigate the risk of brownouts and blackouts. In addition, they will allow Aqualectra to expand its decarbonisation vision.
Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment and construction of the power plant is being carried out on a fast-track basis, and the plant is expected to be fully operational by Q4 2025.
