NewDay.nl
organized a survey towards the possibility of starting a
hydrogen economy on the Caribbean Island of Curaçao.
At
first we had to look
at the
technical and organizational implications, possibilities and chances.
That first step was taken on the 21st of
April 2005 at the Netherlands-Antilles governmental office in The
Hague, Holland.
More than a dozen Dutch hydrogen and societal officials
and
opinion leaders overlooked the
following basic idea and made their own complementary notes. This so
called 'survey group' decided there are indeed chances on the Caribbean
Island, but not immediately for a hydrogen economy upon this caribbean
island.
We have decided to develop in cooperation with the locale
electricity producer/provider Aqualectra an
alternative, solar -, wind- and wave energy-concept.
Currently the activities are in a standstil. With serious follow-up it
can flow again: content & contacts. Naturally not in infinity.
We
keep you posted | more information
The basic
idea
Inhabitants
of the outer areas of capital Willemstad acquire against good
conditions the
usage of a solar cell and a small, high-tech wind turbine. These
two
integrated in a household energy generator reduce the family's
electricity bills.
Also there is electricity production by a tidal
field plant somewhere along
the northeastern coast, and in the 'remote' northern rural areas we'll
find one or two thermal
solar power plants.
Too much produced energy is to be sold to the island's electricity
grid.
Regarding the quantity of
these additions ánd the quality of
the
applied
technologies, it is assumable that also the electricity rates of the
urban
island inhabitants will also decrease.
Regarding this durable electricity surplus I
think it
is worth more than a thought that this might be a fantastic chance for
pro-hydrogen organizations* to show the world in practice the blessings
of the fuel cell
technology. The first fully self sustaining durable hydrogen
economy in the world.
More than
financial revenues
The costs
of this concept are enormous. We are talking about the electricity
needs
of about 130 thousand people. On the other hand: this will be
an
experiment of immeasurable worldwide implications. All professional
and also
public eyes will be upon the project’s progress. Broad and
various
financing resources
are within reach; from companies sponsoring materials up to
encouragement
subsidies by the United Nations. Besides that: the doubling of capacity
in
the hightech industries is still evident and relatively easy to
realise. With a hydrogen electricity
production of three times the island-needs, export comes in focus. And
what to
think of the selling of expertise of a project of this size and
impacts...
Why
Curaçao?
Many basic
conditions
of its
potential are there. Although poverty is something real on the Island, Curaçao is not a developing
country. The
(international) infrastructure is fairly good and the island itself is
situated
in between the North and South American economies. Also it has got a
strong link to Europe via The Netherlands and
the harbour is
one of the busiest in the Caribbean. English and Spanish
are common spoken
languages, the political
situation is considered to be consequent and stable and the presence of
international organisations and companies is evident.
Curaçao 2015: The Caribbean Island not only known for its
tourism, drugs and -
in
lesser concern the Isla, the former Shell refinery, but
especially as the place the Hydrogen Revolution started.
NewDay.nl | Richard
Reekers
* Amongst them we
find Shell Hydrogen; the mother organization of this company refined
Venezuelan crude oil from 1926 up to 1984. And not really in the
margin of this concept: the
plant closure led to the economic downfall Curaçao suffers from
until
today.
Mail
or call:
++31(0)653-97 29 27
background information
Curaçao.com
Pro
hydrogen groups and activities The Netherlands
Jeremy
Rifkin's Foundation of Economic Trends
|
site
communitylinks
start
Rotterdam
/
Nijmegen, 2003 - 2005
June 2007
|
