Electricity
On Aruba electrical energy is produced by steam driven turbine generators. The steam is produced by boilers which burn 'No. 6' heavy fuel oil. To meet the growing demand for power and increase efficiency also lowering the impact on the environment, the energy company has undertaken the "RECIPS" Engines projects, expanding the power generation capacity with 97 MW. In the near future a fuel change is planned from heavy fuel to natural gas, expansion of our wind power capacity also waste to energy and solar power are on the agenda.
Supply
Electricity is produced by the Water- en Energiebedrijf Aruba (WEB) N.V. The total power generating capacity of the steam turbines amounts to 149 megawatts. There is also a 22 megawatt gas turbine as a backup unit, while a 6.5 MW diesel generator serves as an emergency unit. WEB produced an average of which together with a contracted supply from the refining company, is sufficient to comply with the average demand of 102 MW (2012 est).
WEB delivers electricity to the distribution company N.V. Electriciteit-Maatschappij Aruba (Elmar).
Electricity type
Electricity is supplied at a 60-Hertz frequency, and at 127 and 220 volts. For regular household use there is the 127 volts and 220 volt for the (split) airconditioning units.
Wind energy
In 2004 a start was made with the development of a wind turbine Park at Vader Piet. More efficiency and less fuel is the result of this project which is the construction of a park of 10 wind turbines with a capacity each of 3 megawatt, for a total capacity of 30 megawatt. Considering the variables like wind intensity and velocity, it has been calculated that the park can generate an average of 18 megawatt per day. This is 18% of our daily average demand of approximately 102 Megawatt. A project that puts Aruba at the top of nations, in producing energy with the use of the wind as the source of energy.
A joint venture of European companies founded Wind turbine park Vader Piet N.V. that sells the electricity generated, exclusively to W.E.B. Aruba N.V. This is the format that made the construction for this wind park economically feasible. W.E.B. Aruba N.V. invested in putting in the cable from Vader Piet to the substation in San Nicolas. Additionally W.E.B. Aruba N.V. had a so called MER study of the impact on the environment made, before the start of the project. The construction of the wind turbine park was completed at the end of 2009. A green energy project that will reduce our dependency on fuel oil.
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