On June 5^th 2019, the Dynaf Group organized the conference titled “The Future of Energy”. The conference was part of the Business Week program organized in connection with Dynaf’s 20^th anniversary.  The conference was held at the Avila Beach Hotel and moderated by Mrs. Tamira La Cruz which opened the conference with some insightful words regarding Climate Action, the Sustainable Development Goals. The CEO of the Dynaf Group, Mr. Hans van de Gulik, offered some welcome words as well and received the Minimum Sustainability Standard (MSS) Award for achieving phase 1 of the program of the BPM-Curacao Business Council for Sustainable Development from John Amarica, chairman of BPM.

Mr. Edwin Bogert, Chief Legal Officer Bureau Telecommunicatie en Post, discussed the developments of renewable energy in Curaçao including the challenges in legislation to adapt to the new developments. Mrs. Caroline Härtel, representative of Corendon Curaçao Holding B.V., shared the plans of the group to build the new hotel in a sustainable way with a commitment to use renewable energy. As well as their plans to market their business and receive tourist on a periodic basis. Up next, Mr. Gulik shared the Dynaf’s vision on the future of energy but also reminded us where they were, where they stand now and where they want to go. Dynaf has been a pioneer in supporting renewable energy on the island and has brought excellent products on the market thanks to their partnership with renowned brands.

Up next, Mr. Thakaidzwa Doran reminded us that working towards a specific goal is hardship but with perseverance, the rewards are indescribably worth it. He shared the story of some of our athletes, their struggles, where they are now and where they are planning to go. We have a lot to be proud of and take it as inspiration to make things happen. Following this inspirational segment panel members discussed how to scale Curaçao together from 25% to 50% renewable energy in 15 years? Everyone agreed that doing investments in renewable energy is important but there has to be a way to facilitate those investment opportunities.

In order for this to happen, a culture change is needed wherein senior level of companies and the government publicly commit for the development of this market making it in such a way for everyone to have a fair share when the participate or contribute to eco-friendly alternatives. At this moment, there are just a few banks that support green funding projects based on their own initiatives but green financing is not mainstream because there is no incentive for the investor. Information, education, and awareness from the public and private sector on to renewables need improvement.  Facts such as how the weekly spending on an electric car is way cheaper than the weekly spending on gasoline and the importance of energy efficiency are rarely talked about in the general public.

After the lunch and energizer session, Mr. Steffen Heinrich, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Qinous GmbH, talked about his Caribbean field experiences and commercial outlook on storage solutions in renewable hybrid applications. Up next, several workshops took place on interesting topics such as Innovation in generators through factory automation, and new product developments, improving energy efficiency with smart control technology through case studies, and lessons learned, history and (future) developments in solar energy translated to the Caribbean area, smart grid to smart building: energy management in the age of digital transformation, past, current and future vision on energy storage technology and the possibilities of electric vehicles on small islands.

After the workshops, there was an opportunity for attendees to try a ride in an electric car. The event finished with a networking session where attendees were able to connect and share ideas.

The DCSX congratulates the Dynaf Group on their 20^th anniversary and commends their commitment to invest in our economy in a responsible sustainable way. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

For more information on the event contact: businessweek@dynaf.com