Toward 100% sustainable energy production and a structural decrease in energy demand: Curacao, as a case study of small island developing states

Abstract

The exploitation of fossil fuels is generally considered to be the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, fossil fuels are also considered as a finite source of energy. Since the major part of electricity production in the world still comes from fossil fuels, utility companies have necessarily started to focus more on the application of sustainable energy sources. However, replacing fossil fuels by renewable sources such as wind and solar energy comes with some specific challenges. A major issue with regard to solar and wind energy is that energy production is weather dependent. In addition to a season-dependent output level, daily fluctuations in production can also be observed.Electricity production in Small Island Development States (SIDS 1 ) remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels. In 2009, 98% of the electricity supplied in the Caribbean SIDS was produced from fossil fuels. The problems associated with fluctuating production levels in a transition towards solar and wind energy are particularly relevant for SIDS. Most of these islands have an isolated electricity infrastructure which is not connected to the electricity infrastructure of other countries. As such, they lack the option of crossborder agreements to deal with intermittency. Instead, to guarantee a reliable electricity supply, expensive back-up systems are needed.The island of Curaçao can be considered as unusual among SIDS in that it already uses significant renewable energy sources. Since the 1980s, Curaçao has built up considerable experience with wind and solar energy. In contrast 1 SIDS are recognized as a group of small island countries that are characterized by a small internal market, limited resources, and relative high energy and infrastructure costs. SIDS tend to share a vulnerability to climate change and possible natural disasters. The United Nations lists 57 small island developing states. These are broken down into six geographically dispersed regions: the Caribbean; the Atlantic Ocean; the Pacific Ocean; the Indian Ocean; the Mediterranean Sea; and the South China Sea.

Assessing the Impacts of Electric Vehicle Penetration in Curaçao’s Power Network

“…The main energy sources used in Curaçao are oil and natural gas, which are imported and used to generate electricity and for transportation; nonetheless, in recent years, there have been efforts to transition to more sustainable and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, with the aim of reducing the island's reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing its carbon footprint. The data regarding Curaçao's power grid are not public; nonetheless, this paper proposes a representative prototype of the power grid for academic purposes based on available information provided in [29].…”