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Aruba utility WEB Aruba has agreed to install a 35 MW/70 MWh battery energy storage system with Wärtsilä. The project is scheduled for handover in Q2 2028 and will connect to the utility’s existing solar, wind and engine generation through Wärtsilä’s energy management system. Wärtsilä describes it as its largest Caribbean storage project; the battery platform and detailed project costs have not been disclosed.
The agreement covers engineering, procurement and construction of the battery system, along with a services arrangement for Wärtsilä’s energy management system (EMS) and long-term maintenance. Wärtsilä said it booked the order in the third quarter of 2026. The announcement does not state the contract value or give a more detailed construction schedule.
The proposed BESS is to be connected to WEB Aruba’s existing generation fleet, which includes solar, wind and engine power plants. Wärtsilä says its EMS will use forecasting and grid-control capabilities to support system reliability and coordinate how generation assets are dispatched. Those are expected benefits described by the company, rather than reported results from an operating system.
Wärtsilä will provide the EMS under its “As-a-Service” model, which the company says includes ongoing software and configuration updates and access to technical support. The agreement also includes long-term maintenance of the energy storage system. The announcement does not identify the battery platform that will be installed.
Storage for Aruba’s Renewable Grid
The system would give WEB Aruba a way to store electricity and coordinate its release alongside generation from wind and solar, as well as the utility’s engine plants. Battery storage can help balance differences between when renewable power is generated and when electricity is needed; the project’s actual effects on reliability, fuel use or customer costs have not yet been measured.
The deal matters because the project combines hardware with an energy management system and ongoing services. Wärtsilä says that combination is intended to improve power-supply quality and reduce the cost of delivering electricity. Those statements are the supplier’s expectations, and the announcement offers no projected savings, emissions reductions or performance targets for the Aruba installation.
At 70 MWh, the system would represent a substantial addition to Aruba’s grid resources. Wärtsilä calls it the Caribbean’s largest BESS, but its stated comparison is specifically the company’s own project, based on power and energy capacity. The source material does not provide a region-wide inventory independently establishing a ranking across all Caribbean projects.
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A Longstanding Utility Partnership
The storage agreement builds on previous work between the two companies. Wärtsilä has supplied engines and equipment for WEB Aruba power plant projects representing a combined 230 MW of installed generation capacity, according to the report. That figure refers to generation projects supplied previously; it is distinct from the new battery system’s 35 MW power rating.
Wärtsilä’s global energy storage business is now housed in Valo, a joint venture launched with German engineering company RCT Solutions. The source says Valo has more than 20 GWh of battery storage projects worldwide, but does not specify how much of that total is operating, under construction or contracted. It also does not say which Valo battery platform will be used in Aruba.
““With our solution, we will support WEB Aruba in improving the quality and reliability of power supply to the island, as well as reducing the cost of delivering it.””
— Risto Paldanius, vice president, Americas, at Wärtsilä Energy
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Project Specifications Still Pending
Several details remain undisclosed. The announcement does not name the battery platform or chemistry, give a project price, identify a construction start date, or set out expected operating-life and performance figures. It also does not provide quantified estimates for changes in fuel consumption, emissions, electricity costs or outage risk.
The system’s planned role is described in terms of integration, forecasting and grid control, but the source does not explain how much electricity it is expected to store at a time in routine operation, how often it will cycle, or what share of Aruba’s demand it could serve. Wärtsilä’s description of the project as the largest in the Caribbean is framed as a claim about its own Caribbean projects; no independent regional comparison is included.
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Handover Planned for Q2 2028
Wärtsilä’s current schedule calls for final handover in the second quarter of 2028. Before then, the companies will need to carry out the engineering, procurement, construction, integration and commissioning work covered by the agreement. The announcement does not give milestones for those stages or specify when physical construction is expected to begin.
Further information from WEB Aruba or Wärtsilä could clarify the selected battery system, project cost, installation schedule and expected operating performance. For now, the confirmed development is the signed agreement and its stated scope; the system’s eventual contribution to reliability, renewable integration and electricity costs will depend on implementation and operation.
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Key Questions
What is Aruba adding to its power system?
WEB Aruba has agreed to install a 35 MW/70 MWh battery energy storage system with Wärtsilä. The agreement also covers an energy management system and long-term maintenance.
When is the battery system expected to be completed?
Wärtsilä has scheduled final handover for Q2 2028. The announcement does not provide a construction start date or interim milestones.
How will the system connect to Aruba’s electricity supply?
The BESS is planned to integrate with WEB Aruba’s existing solar, wind and engine generation through Wärtsilä’s energy management system. The company says forecasting and grid-control functions are expected to support reliability and asset dispatch.
Is this confirmed as the Caribbean’s largest battery project?
Wärtsilä says it is the largest energy storage project in the Caribbean in its own portfolio, by both MW and MWh. The source material does not provide an independent comparison of all Caribbean battery projects.
What is not yet known about the project?
The announcement does not disclose the battery platform, project cost, construction start date or quantified estimates for savings, emissions changes or reliability improvements.
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