Fuel and Electricity Prices Rising in Curaçao Starting September 1

Criticism is mounting over the management of Curaçao's refinery situation, with allegations that certain individuals at 2Bays/CRU are enriching themselves and their contractor friends through projects that ultimately fail to get the refinery's plants operational. The Papiamento-language outlet Extra Curaçao reports that the more the refinery situation drags on, the more these insiders appear to benefit financially at the public's expense. Adding to the controversy is a plan to reduce the current CRU workforce from 200 to 120 active workers — a cut of 80 employees — for which no clear explanation has been provided. Critics argue that bringing back a company with a track record of failure is inherently flawed, as suggested by the headline. The situation touches on Curaçao's long-troubled effort to revive the Isla refinery, a matter of significant economic and energy importance for the island. The lack of transparency around both the contractor payments and the workforce reduction is fueling public frustration and calls for accountability.

Curaçao has begun repairs on a malfunctioning wind turbine at the Koraal Tabak wind farm, as the island works to shore up its electricity generation capacity. The turbine had been out of service, reducing the contribution of renewable energy to the island's power grid. Authorities and the utility sector are treating the repair as a priority amid broader concerns about energy reliability on the island. The situation highlights Curaçao's ongoing challenge of maintaining aging infrastructure while simultaneously trying to expand sustainable power sources. The island has been actively seeking to increase its total power capacity, with wind energy playing a key role in its energy transition strategy. Restoring the turbine to full operation is expected to ease some pressure on the grid and support the island's clean energy goals.

Plans for a passenger ferry service between Aruba and Curaçao have hit a significant setback after the tender process for a feasibility study was halted. The stoppage delays what would be a major regional transportation link connecting the two Dutch Caribbean islands. A feasibility study was intended to determine whether a regular ferry route between Aruba and Curaçao is operationally and economically viable. The cancellation of the tender means that critical groundwork for the project cannot move forward until a new procurement process is initiated. The ferry concept has long been discussed as a way to boost inter-island travel, reduce reliance on air connections, and strengthen economic and cultural ties between the islands. The delay is a blow to stakeholders who had anticipated progress on the initiative, and no revised timeline for restarting the tender has been announced. The project involves coordination between authorities on both islands, adding procedural complexity to any restart effort.