Technologies used

A reliable power network is vital to Aruba. WEB Aruba generates power and delivers it 24/7 to a distribution company, NV ELMAR.

WEB Aruba is not only committed to deliver an efficient, stable and reliable product, our company is also committed to changing the way energy is produced. We are actively working towards a future which is less dependent on fossil fuels and that has a minimal impact on our environment. 


We are currently producing energy using various methods:

 

RECIP Engines

  • To meet the growing demand for power, increase efficiency and lower the impact on the environment, WEB Aruba introduced Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines in 2006. With this technology WEB has increased its reliability and efficiency by approximately 30%.  A reciprocating engine, also known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion to drive an electrical generator, resulting in power generation.

Wind Turbines

  • To increase efficiency and renewable energy production, WEB Aruba closed an agreement with Windpark Vader Piet NV in 2009 to exclusively buy energy generated by the wind turbine park. Increased efficiency and less fuel usage is the result of this project which consists of 10 wind turbines with a capacity of 3 megawatts (MW) each, for a total capacity of 30 megawatt. Considering variables like wind intensity and velocity, it has been calculated that the park can generate up to an average of 60% of capacity utilization.
  • Since 2009, 16% to 17% of Aruba’s energy production has been provided by the wind park at Vader Piet. In 2022 a process has been initiated to prepare the construction of a new wind park at Rincon. The installation of this new wind park could increase renewable energy to 35%, based on the energy policy of the Government of Aruba.

Solar Photovoltaic System

The envisioned future of WEB Aruba is to be cleaner, greener and fuel oil free. In order to achieve this goal WEB needs to engage in cleaner and greener technologies for a more sustainable energy and water supply. Cleaner technologies will lead to less emissions and therefore reduce carbon footprint and have a positive impact on the environment. In 2018 WEB commissioned its Sunrise Solar Park at Lago Heights; a large scale solar PV park, consisting of a large scale solar ground mounted PV system, with a total estimated capacity of 7.5 MW and a peak capacity of 6 MW per day. 

Energy Storage

In line with WEB Aruba’s renewable energy strategy (ARES), WEB initiated several projects to store renewable energy. These projects play an important role in maintaining the power grid stable and efficient. The Flywheel project consists of 20 Flywheels with an energy storage capacity of 5 MW during 12 minutes. A flywheel is an underground energy storage system that converts kinetic energy to electric energy. As this technology is relatively new, the flywheel park at WEB is still in a phase of optimization. The Battery Energy Storage (BESS) is a pilot project and conducts research to collect reliable, site specific data. The data will help determine the different ways in which battery energy storage can be used and integrated into WEB’s existing production mix.

IGMS

WEB Aruba’s Intelligent Generation Management System (IGMS) was introduced in 2021. The IGMS regulates energy supply automatically. Simultaneously WEB introduced together with ELMAR, the Intelligent Load Shedding System (ILS). The IGMS and ILS limits long power interruptions and less affected areas. The IGMS maintains the power supply to ELMAR stable and facilitates faster action during interruptions or imbalance in the power demand.  

Future

In line with our envisioned future, the introduction of natural gas as a substitute for Heavy Fuel Oil is planned for 2025.

WEB Aruba's Renewable Energy Strategy (ARES)

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