Above: Aruba

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Aruba’s government is continuing its push to achieve energy independence by the year 2020.

The government announced Tuesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with BYD Company Limited on a zero-carbon footprint and energy independence initiative based entirely on green power sources.

The MOU covers four areas: electrifying all public transportation with zero-emission vehicles, increasing solar and wind energy generation, making green energy “dispatchable on demand” and a nationwide plan for public re-education and sustainability programmes in the island’s schools.

“This document signifies both parties interests and commitment to work together to introduce electric vehicles and green products in Aruba,” said Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman. “In our transition phase towards 100 percent sustainability, BYD will support Aruba demonstrating how to convert all our vehicles, including cars, buses, taxis and all private and public vehicles into electrified transportation.”

On the electrification front, the plan is to place into service four BYD zero-emission, long-range electric buses, and one e6 electric taxi as part of a government fleet.
Aruba also plans to double its wind farms, according to the government using BYD’s “iron-phosphate grid-scale storage technologies.” BYD will also be outfitting the island with solar generation projects and convert much of the island’s public lighting to LED.