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Aruba Envisions a Zero Emissions Future
Green Technology Featured Articles
June 12, 2013

Aruba Envisions a Zero Emissions Future

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

Late in May, former U.S. President Bill Clinton—who now heads an initiative dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges— visited Cartagena, Colombia, to support the country’s climate-change proposal. While he was there, he enjoyed a test drive in one of the city’s new pure-electric, zero-emissions taxis— the BYD e6.


Now, that same successful EV technology—developed by BYD Auto Co. Ltd., a Chinese automaker based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province—is being adopted 400 miles away ( as the crow flies), on the Caribbean island of Aruba.

 Indeed, this week, the government of the popular vacation destination signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BYD that outlines the nation’s plans to:

  • Electrify all public transportation using BYD-manufactured zero-emission vehicles
  • Substantially increase the amount of distributed solar and wind generation in its energy mix
  • Use environmentally friendly energy storage
  • Put in place a nationwide plan for public education and sustainability programs in all schools

 To realize each of these four objectives, Aruba plans to use BYD green technologies. The nation’s overall goal is to become emissions-free by the year 2020.

Prime Minister Mike G. Eman stated, “This [MOU] signifies [our] commitment to work together to introduce electric vehicles and green products in Aruba. In our transition phase toward 100 percent sustainability, BYD will support Aruba."

Ranked as the first and most important of these initiatives is the electrification of public transportation. Aruba plans to place into service a public/government fleet comprising four BYD zero-emission, long-range all-electric buses and one BYD e6 electric taxi by September of this year.

Next, the nation will increase its renewable energy generation and adopt storage technology. Aruba plans to double its wind generation capacity and make its wind farms self-sustaining using BYD's iron-phosphate grid-scale storage technologies.

 Leveraging these same battery energy storage solutions, the island nation also will also deploy large-scale stand-alone BYD solar plants throughout the island. BYD America's President Stella Li commented,  "BYD Company was completely impressed by the vision of the government leaders of Aruba and fully supported Aruba becoming the first completely sustainable nation in the world."

Infrastructure improvements and education will follow. Aruba will convert much of its public lighting to high-efficiency BYD LED street and indoor fixtures. Further, there are plans to electrify all of its schools using rooftop solar installations and to build education programs around the sustainability enhancements.

Finally, there are plans for a “smart community.” Aruba intends to use BYD solar generation, external and internal LED lighting systems, and electric vehicles to develop a next-generation city in Kibaima. Conceived in 2012, this project will serve as a laboratory for sustainability ventures throughout the nation.

Minister of Finance Mike de Meza concluded, "Aruba already is working with renowned institutions like the Carbon War Room [and] TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research. But with today's MOU, BYD has become part of the Aruba green family."





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