NOS News•today, 6:39 pm
A fire broke out at the Karpata power plant on Bonaire this morning around 07:00 local time. As a result, part of the island is without power. The fire is now under control, but the cause is not yet known.
The airport, a fire station, prison and various neighborhoods, among others, have been affected. Currently, the electricity that is still available is distributed over various areas on the island via a load shedding schedule. Bonaire cannot fall back on another power plant in the event of a power failure.
Windless and warm
Companies in particular are now affected by the reduced power supply, but more consumers will also notice it in the evening and at night. Messages are circulating on social media about the state of the power supply.
The fire will put further pressure on the energy supply on Bonaire. Fossil fuel, wind and solar energy are the main energy sources on the Caribbean island. Usually wind energy produces about a quarter of the energy, but there is less wind now. At the moment it is also very hot: the temperature has been above 38 degrees for a week. As a result, the demand for electricity is actually higher; more use is made of air conditioning.
