The Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association formed an alliance with three other civic organizations, ATIA, the Aruba Trade & Industry Association, KVK, the Chamber of Commerce, and CUA, Comerciantenan Uni, a retail business organization.
The four have been collaborating regularly when dealing with GOA about water and electricity prices, tax and labor issues and many more burning concerns, in order to move GOA into action on challenges facing the private sector on the island.
This time the four sent a joint letter to the Minister of Energy asking for clarification about the island’s energy policy and efforts to increase reliance on renewable energy here.
The Minister of Energy has been traveling around the world in pursuit of his own agenda, and by means of the letter Aruba’s economic drivers want him to stop for a minute, and explain, how he is moving Aruba into the 21st century, generating renewable energy, in lieu of its current reliance on HFO, heavy fuel oil.
At the beginning of the letter, the four civic organizations confirm that they share the minister’s vision for the transition to renewable energy as soon as possible.
Yet, they would like more clarity on what is being done about it, especially how the agreement with Eagle LNG is furthering that vision.
More than two years ago GOA signed an agreement, a confidential one, with Eagle LNG. I mean, that the agreement has only been seen by few. The agreement has been held under wraps, and at this time we all want to know what it entails, because zero progress has been made in solar or wind parks, because we were on the road to LNG salvation.
At the time when Eagle LNG was introduced here, 2021, it was a twinkle in its owner’s eyes. And to this day, when you research the company it has an unimpressive online presence, a proposed small scale LNG facility in Jacksonville Florida, that WILL serve customers domestically and in the Caribbean Basin. A state-of-the-art natural gas liquefaction plant and marine terminal in Maxville – just outside Jacksonville, Florida; a proposed small-scale LNG storage and regasification facility that will serve Aruba, and a 500K LNG gallon capacity for bunkering, at Talleyrand, Jacksonville, Florida, for land-based bunkering.
The Eagle LNG website has a super bombastic description of the company: Eagle’s gas assets are located throughout the Caribbean basin, creating countless jobs and enhancing economic growth, as well as increased access to energy, resources, and essential services – all while contributing to the environmental health of our planet.
But we haven’t seen any of this.
Promises, promises.
A news item from Dec 10, 2021
WEB and Eagle LNG energy deal is a catalyst for growth, prosperity, and environmental improvement for Aruba.
Eagle LNG Partners LLC (Eagle LNG), a US company based in Houston, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida, has completed a long-term supply contract to set up a liquefied natural gas (‘LNG’) receiving and regasification terminal in Aruba with WEB Aruba, the local power and water utility. The project confirms Aruba’s growing importance as a regional hub and creates new economic pillars. Today, the deal was confirmed in a signing ceremony attended by the Minister of Labor, Energy and Integration Glenbert Croes and WEB Aruba AI. CEO, Serapio (Laty) Wever.
Then, nothing happened.
Also reported in 2021: According to Utilities NV, after years of stagnation at WEB – that is the word they used, and a number of blackouts, change was coming, under new management, and in collaboration with Elmar and Utilities NV, they are putting a National Energy Plan in action, stiving to eliminate our dependence on HFO, heavy fuel oil, completely by 2050, perhaps earlier, and transitioning to LNG. The corresponding minister, Labor, Energy and Integration, already stated last week that they are working on the transition from HFO to LNG.
Then, nothing happened.
