How has the production of renewable electricity changed?
The production of electricity from renewable resources like wind and solar power on Bonaire increased from 4.9 million kWh in 2010 to 40.5 million kWh in 2024. On St Eustatius, production rose from 2.3 kWh in 2016 to 5.3 kWh last year. And on Saba, it rose from 0.1 million kWh to 3.0 million kWh during the same period.
In 2024, the total electricity production of Bonaire amounted to 172.7 million kWh, 11 percent more than in 2023. Almost a quarter of all electricity production was renewable, 16 per cent more than a year earlier.
Solar energy production on Bonaire doubles
In 2024, 64 percent of renewable electricity generated on Bonaire came from wind turbines. Furthermore, approximately a quarter was generated by solar parks and 12 percent came from solar panels on the roofs of homes and businesses.
The production of electricity from solar energy doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, partly due to a new solar park commissioned in the summer of 2023. Electricity production from wind remained around the same over the past year.
| Year | Fossil | Wind energy | Solar energy from solar parks | Solar energy from roofs of homes & businesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.3 | 4.9 | . | . |
| 2011 | 58.8 | 26.3 | . | . |
| 2012 | 58.6 | 32.5 | . | . |
| 2013 | 56.9 | 36.7 | . | . |
| 2014 | 56.1 | 41.2 | . | . |
| 2015 | 63.4 | 40.1 | . | . |
| 2016 | 73.3 | 34.9 | 0.3 | . |
| 2017 | 81.9 | 31.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | 76.0 | 36.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 88.1 | 32.2 | 0.3 | 2.1 |
| 2020 | 95.7 | 25.1 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| 2021 | 101.5 | 28.9 | 0.2 | 3.0 |
| 2022 | 107.3 | 29.6 | 0.2 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 121.3 | 26.1 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| 2024 | 132.2 | 25.9 | 9.8 | 4.8 |
Renewable energy on Bonaire peaked in 2014
In 2010, 4.9 million kWh of renewable energy was generated, representing 6 percent of the total. In addition to electricity from wind, solar energy has also been used to produce electricity since 2016.
The share of renewable electricity on Bonaire was at its highest in 2014, at 42.3 percent. This was partly due to the number of wind hours, which was higher compared to other years. In recent years, the share of renewable energy has been between 20 and 30 percent. Renewable electricity on Bonaire has been generated since 2007.
Thirty percent of electricity production on St Eustatius is renewable
On St Eustatius, renewable electricity has been generated since 2016. Total electricity production rose to 17.7 million kWh in 2024, of which 5.3 million kWh (30 percent) was renewable.
The first phase of a solar park was launched in 2016. In that year, one-fifth of the total energy production was renewable solar energy. One year later, the second phase of the solar park was completed, resulting in an increase in electricity production. The highest point was reached in 2018, when more than 45 percent of total energy production was renewable. After that, there was a drop. Over the last two years, renewable electricity has fluctuated at around 30 percent.
| Jaartal | Fossil | Solar parks |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,8 | . |
| 2011 | 12,6 | . |
| 2012 | 13,7 | . |
| 2013 | 13,5 | . |
| 2014 | 13,4 | . |
| 2015 | 13,9 | . |
| 2016 | 11,6 | 2,3 |
| 2017 | 10,2 | 3,8 |
| 2018 | 7,8 | 6,5 |
| 2019 | 8,7 | 6,3 |
| 2020 | 10,4 | 4,8 |
| 2021 | 11,1 | 5,2 |
| 2022 | 11,7 | 4,7 |
| 2023 | 12,0 | 5,1 |
| 2024 | 12,4 | 5,3 |
Electricity production from renewable resources on Saba hardly changed last year
Total electricity production on Saba was 10.0 million kWh in 2024, 1.7 percent more than a year earlier. In total, 30 percent of electricity production on Saba came from renewable resources, slightly less than a year earlier.
In 2016, renewable energy was generated on Saba for the first time, but this accounted for less than one percent of the total electricity production (0.1 million kWh). On Saba, renewable electricity is generated by solar parks. Saba now has two solar parks. The first has been operational since February 2018 and the second since February 2019.
| Jaartal | Fossil | Solar parks |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.9 | . |
| 2011 | 8.8 | . |
| 2012 | 8.9 | . |
| 2013 | 9.2 | . |
| 2014 | 9.3 | . |
| 2015 | 9.4 | . |
| 2016 | 9.6 | 0.1 |
| 2017 | 9.1 | 0.1 |
| 2018 | 7.6 | 1.5 |
| 2019 | 6.9 | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 6.0 | 2.8 |
| 2021 | 5.9 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | 6.6 | 2.9 |
| 2023 | 6.7 | 3.1 |
| 2024 | 7.0 | 3.0 |
Sources
More information on energy and water connections and production (Dutch only)