Business CW 2026 - 8 | Page 5

Curaçao Chamber

Press release: reliability electricity supply

Willemstad- Repeated power outages cause productivity losses, disrupted business processes, damage to equipment and inventory, lost revenue and additional costs. Businesses dependent on digital systems, refrigeration, production processes and payment systems are particularly

affected.

Immediate and Long-Term Economic Impact

The consequences do not end when electricity is restored. Businesses face lost working hours, missed sales, recovery costs and potential damage to equipment or inventory. Repeated outages can also undermine the confidence of customers, investors and international businesses in Curaçao as a reliable place to do business and invest. For an economy seeking to strengthen its competitiveness, attract investment and diversify, reliable infrastructure is essential.

From Outages to Structural Resilience

The Chamber recognizes the technical complexity of electricity production and distribution and that generator failures, spare-part availability and weather conditions can create operational pressures. However, recurring interruptions underline the need for a resilient energy system with sufficient reserve and emergency capacity. Beyond resolving individual outages, structural attention must be given to underlying causes, infrastructure reliability, generation capacity and the investments

required to make the energy system future-proof.

Sustainability and Security of Supply

Curaçao’s energy transition presents important opportunities, but sustainability cannot come at the expense of reliability. Sustainability, affordability and security of supply must remain equally

important priorities.

Concrete and Time-Bound Action

The Chamber calls on Aqualectra and all parties involved to urgently present a joint, transparent and time-bound action plan outlining measures to reduce outages, guarantee reserve and emergency capacity, implement necessary structural investments and improve timely

communication with businesses and the public.

The Chamber also calls for systematic monitoring of the economic impact of outages and is prepared to contribute the experiences and concerns of the business community.

A reliable electricity supply is fundamental to a healthy and resilient economy. Curaçao cannot afford continued uncertainty. Decisive, transparent and structural action is needed to safeguard

business continuity and Curaçao’s economic development.

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