Last Tuesday, representatives from various organizations gathered at the Terramar museum for a meeting organized by Bonaire Bon Transition (BBT). Among the attendees were the Island Governor and representatives from WEB, Curoil, BIA, BOPEC, ContourGlobal, and the Ministry of I&W.
During the meeting, Walter Wattenbergh, director of BBT, emphasized the ongoing commitment of BBT and its partners to a safe and increasingly sustainable energy supply on Bonaire. He underscored the crucial role of collaboration among various stakeholders in realizing this vision. “Structural change is only possible by uniting everyone’s expertise and working together,” stated Wattenbergh.
The meeting provided a platform for discussion and collaboration among different stakeholders, aimed at making Bonaire’s energy infrastructure safer and more sustainable. Recent developments, including BBT’s co-ownership of the solar panel park, realized by ContourGlobal, were also discussed during the meeting.
In addition to highlighting progress in renewable energy, plans for the construction of a new fuel terminal were discussed. Despite efforts in renewable energy, this terminal remains necessary for the safe storage and distribution of fuels on Bonaire. The modern terminal will replace existing storage facilities.
Welcome to the February 2024 newsletter!
In this edition:
- BBT will become co-owner of the solar panel park on Bonaire, in a partnership with ContourGlobal Bonaire, to keep energy rates under control and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
- Bonaire Fuel Terminals changes name to Bonaire Bon Transition (BBT) and now focuses on renewable energy.
- BBT is working on permits for the construction of a modern fuel terminal on Bonaire, a process that requires careful coordination and cooperation with various authorities. Expected construction start in late 2024 or early 2025, depending on permitting process.
View the entire newsletter in .PDF format here Newsletter Bonaire Bon Transition 15-02-24 (in Dutch)
Welcome to the November 2023 newsletter!
In this edition:
- BBT focuses on improving existing fuel supplies and making new energy supplies for Bonaire more sustainable.
- Solar park great addition for versatile energy generation.
View the entire newsletter in .PDF format here Newsletter BBT November 15, 2023 (in Dutch)
Welcome to the August 2023 newsletter!
In this newsletter you can read about the latest developments in the field of energy transition and fuel supply on Bonaire. We talk about the new solar park that has been successfully connected to the grid, the construction of a new fuel terminal, and the appointment of two new colleagues. We also provide an update on the projects we are carrying out.
View the Newsletter (in Dutch) here
Newsletter from Bonaire Fuel Terminal
Welcome to our May 2023 newsletter! We are pleased to inform you every quarter about the latest developments and progress of BBT’s projects. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@bbtbonaire.com.
View the newsletter (in Dutch) here.
On April 12th, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, Gerdine Keijzer-Baldé, visited Bonaire to discuss developments in energy supply. During her visit, she met with Governor Edison Rijna and commissioners Hennyson Thielman and Jolinda Craane to discuss the need for safe fuel storage and the expansion of sustainable energy.
An important topic of discussion was the construction of new storage tanks to ensure safe fuel storage. The existing storage tanks are old and in need of replacement. In parallel with the construction of the necessary fuel storage tanks, work is being done on the expansion of sustainable energy. Keijzer-Baldé visited the site of Contour Global, where a new solar park is currently being built. In addition to panels for generating energy, a battery will be installed to store this energy. The new solar park is expected to be operational in September of this year. In addition, plans for the expansion and renewal of the current wind park were discussed.
The investment for the new storage tanks is made by Bonaire Brandstof Terminals (BBT), founded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. BBT also invests in the new solar park and the future larger wind park.
Governor Rijna is pleased with the attention to developments in energy supply for Bonaire. All parties see the importance of rapid expansion and sustainability of energy for Bonaire, especially given population growth and increasing demand for energy.
As a follow-up to our 1st newsletter of April 2022, you will find the 2nd BBT newsletter. From now on you will find a quarterly update of BBT’s activities and the progress of the projects here. For questions or comments, you can use this email address: info@bbtbonaire.com
View the newsletter here (in Dutch)
Kralendijk, April 26, 2022
Today marks one year since BBT was founded. 2021 was an eventful year in which we took the first steps towards a sustainable, safe, reliable and affordable energy system on Bonaire. It is clear that there are great opportunities for making the energy supply on the island more sustainable. In the context of historically high energy prices, this is an increasingly urgent task that BBT is working hard on together with partners on Bonaire.
Making the energy supply more sustainable became an increasing priority in 2021. Minister Rob Jetten of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) has the ambition to make the Kingdom a showcase for making small island states more sustainable. The ultimate goal for BBT and the Dutch State is to achieve 100% sustainable electricity production on Bonaire.
In parallel with making the energy supply more sustainable, we have taken steps in 2021 to realize a safe fuel storage and transhipment facility on Bonaire. It is clear that fossil fuels will remain necessary in the medium term, for example for air traffic and in windless periods.
Via this link (in Dutch) you will find an overview of our activities in our first year, which will also require our full attention in 2022 and 2023.
Press Release BBT Bonaire, December 7th, 2021
Kralendijk, December 7th, 2021 – The Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) has release 10 million Euro to expedite sustainable energy transition on Bonaire. Last week, parliament (Tweede Kamer) approved this proposal by State Secretary Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (VVD). Currently about 25% of the island’s energy is produced from sustainable sources. The island largely depends on fossil fuels, while in the last years discussions and pressures on the safety and reliability of the existing fuel infrastructure has increased.
The funds approved will be added to the equity of the company BBT, which entity’s shares are property of the Dutch state. BBT was founded in April of this year. With its increased equity the company can now attract investments in solar and wind energy, in accordance with the ambitions of the Climate Agreement. BBT’s purpose is to organize fuel storage that is safe and reliable and to stimulating sustainable power production on the island. In autumn BBT announced its first steps by submitting the plans for construction of a fuel terminal near the airport.
According to Marcelino de Lannoy, who joined BBT on September 1st, 2021, as the Project Director on the island, and with years of experience in energy production on Curacao and Bonaire, the funds are desperately needed: “Bonaire has huge opportunities for sustainable energy. With these initial financial resources, we are now able to seriously move forward and make sustainable energy accessible to many people on Bonaire. Our ambition is to initially but progressively reach between 70 to 80% of sustainable energy production. At the same time, we recognize that fossil fuels will still be required on the long run, for air traffic and traffic on land.”
BBT is currently engaged in discussions with local partners, including the local water and power company WEB and with Contour Global. “Together with our partners we are investigating wat can be done, what is required and how we can be supportive. We are working hard to come up with concrete plans and hope that we will soon be able to share these with Bonaire.” At the same time EZK has solicited the Dutch research center TNO to produce a road map towards a 100% sustainable energy transition for the Dutch Caribbean. This road map is expected to be presented to the Parliament (Tweede Kamer) at the beginning of next year.
For questions or clarifications, you may contact Project Director Marcelino de Lannoy at info@bbtbonaire.com.
BBT was founded in April 2021 with the Dutch State as its sole proprietary shareholder. BBT is assigned to achieve for Bonaire the energy that is required to live, work and enjoy. By better organization the fuel infrastructure and by stimulating the transition to sustainable energy, BBT aims to provide “bon energia” for Bonaire.
On the 26th of April, 2021, Bonaire Fuel Terminals [Bonaire Brandstof Terminal, BBT] was established. The state-owned company, of which EZK is 100% shareholder, will begin to remedy the worrisome situation in which the fuel supply on Bonaire was on the long term.