Technology group Wärtsilä has signed an innovative decarbonisation services agreement with Aqualectra, the energy utility company of the Caribbean island of Curaçao. The agreement will see Wärtsilä's payments directly tied to achieving key performance indicators: how effectively it maximises renewable energy use, reducing CO2 emissions intensity, lowering costs, and enhancing energy reliability on Curaçao. The agreement was booked in Wärtsilä’s order intake in Q1 2025.
The five-year agreement will see Wärtsilä optimise the energy generation on the island in collaboration with Aqualectra providing a significant step towards Curaçao achieving its target of moving from its current 30 percent renewable capacity to 50 percent in 2025 and 70 percent by at least 2027.
To support Curaçao’s decarbonisation efforts, Wärtsilä will leverage energy storage, grid balancing engines and its GEMS Digital Energy Platform to optimise energy use across the island, delivering the flexibility required to maximise existing renewable and fossil based generation assets and future renewable deployments. The partnership will also see Wärtsilä install a new 38.4 MW grid balancing power plant and a 25 MW / 45 MWh Energy Storage System.
Anders Lindberg, President of Wärtsilä Energy and EVP Wärtsilä, says: “Accelerating the renewable energy transition is at the heart of our mission at Wärtsilä and this deal showcases exactly how our combination of grid balancing engines, energy storage and optimisation software can work in harmony to enable wind and solar to thrive. At Wärtsilä we are not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.”.
“Our unique partnership with Aqualectra and the island of Curaçao demonstrates the benefits of connected, strategic system planning to accelerate decarbonisation. We expect it to be the first of many, as we collaborate with other micro-grids, such as island nations and even heavy industries such as mining, to tackle decarbonisation head-on,” Lindberg continues.
Through this partnership Curaçao residents will benefit from more affordable, sustainable, and reliable electricity supply, with Wärtsilä also delivering on-the-ground expertise to support Aqualectra’s skilled team.
Aqualectra proudly reached a renewable penetration of at least 30% as baseload in the last decade and now sees the opportunity to further increase the renewable penetration beyond 50% while minimizing spinning reserves and therefore optimizing fuel usage on grid balancing engines. The increased renewable penetration and optimized fuel consumption will lower the impact on the environment and have a significant impact on lowering the tariff for the community of Curaçao.
The project is underpinned by rigorous short-term and long-term analysis and modelling by Wärtsilä in collaboration with Aqualectra, which has enabled the company to develop a clear decarbonisation and optimisation roadmap for the islanded grid.
Island nations are some of the most vulnerable places to climate change due to intensifying extreme weather and rising sea levels. Many island nations are particularly driven to decarbonise their grids, with Curaçao being a prime example of an island leading the way to prioritise flexibility and clean energy, while also increasing its resilience against global energy challenges.
The partnership between Wärtsilä and Aqualectra is a blueprint for other island nations seeking to develop flexible, resilient energy grids, enabling more renewable capacity and self-sufficiency. Wärtsilä’s technology is also very well suited for small energy grids, meaning it is well-primed to enable the decarbonisation of other island nations at pace and scale.
Media contact:
Katri Pehkonen
Communications Manager
Wärtsilä Energy
Mob: +358 50 591 6180
katri.pehkonen@wartsila.com
Image caption: Wärtsilä has signed an innovative decarbonisation services agreement with Aqualectra, the energy utility company of the Caribbean island of Curaçao. © Aqualectra
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Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise. Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels. Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity and over 130 energy storage systems in 180 countries around the world. Over 30% of our operating installed base is under service agreements.
www.wartsila.com/energy
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 18,300 professionals in more than 230 locations in 77 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2024, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.4 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com
Aqualectra
Aqualectra is Curaçao’s government-owned utility company. It produces and distributes water and electricity to over 80,000 households and companies. Aqualectra employs 615 dedicated women and men who provide the framework for delivering quality products and services to our customers.
www.aqualectra.com
