At a time when the global climate crisis is accelerating and the pressure on water resources has become one of humanity’s most urgent challenges, Aruba stands as both a symbol of vulnerability and an opportunity for transformation. Rising sea levels, recurrent droughts, and fragile island ecosystems expose the limits of conventional water supply, demanding bold, future-oriented solutions. Aruba, with more than 95% of its drinking water sourced through desalination, depends almost entirely on a process that, while essential, is highly energy-intensive and environmentally demanding. This situation mirrors the struggle faced by over 700 million people living on islands and in coastal regions worldwide, where water security defines both survival and economic development. Every cubic meter of water produced in Aruba is not just a unit of supply, but a marker of resilience, and a reminder of dependence on volatile global energy markets and sensitive ecosystems.
Against this backdrop, the opportunity is transformative: to modernize critical desalination infrastructure, drastically reduce its carbon footprint, integrate renewable energy, and position Aruba as a global showcase of sustainable island water management. Located in Oranjestad, the project is driven by the urgency of reducing energy consumption, minimizing the ecological impact of brine, and ensuring resilience to climate change, while reinforcing the island’s reputation as a sustainable tourism destination. It brings together the plant operator, world-class membrane technology providers, digitalization partners, independent auditors, and water governance entities, supported by climate-focused financial institutions. The initiative aligns fully with Water Positive principles of additionality, traceability, and intentionality, ensuring verifiable benefits under VWBA 2.0 and creating a blueprint for replication in other islands and coastal territories worldwide.
The Aruba project involves the comprehensive modernization of desalination plants located in Oranjestad, through the installation of next-generation reverse osmosis membranes, energy recovery systems, and advanced digitalization. Currently, these facilities face consumption levels exceeding 4.5 kWh/m³, generating high costs, dependence on fossil fuels, CO₂ emissions, and environmental risks due to brine discharge that affects marine ecosystems and coastal communities. With the new infrastructure, more than 20,000 m³ of seawater per day are expected to be transformed into drinking water, reducing energy use by 20–25% and avoiding the emission of more than 15,000 tons of CO₂ annually.
The direct benefits include emission reduction, greater supply stability, safe water regeneration, and decreased use of contaminating chemicals. This transformation is made possible by the local operator, international technology providers, digitalization partners, and external verifiers, all under shared governance that ensures traceability and transparency. In the short term, the impact will be continuity and savings; in the medium term, Aruba’s consolidation as a benchmark for water resilience; and in the long term, the replication of the model in Caribbean islands and other coastal regions. This model is key because it anticipates stricter environmental regulations, strengthens the social license to operate, and makes collaborating companies protagonists of a high-value ESG story, with reputational, regulatory, and competitive benefits. In addition, it opens the door to integrating renewable energies such as solar and wind, reinforcing the island’s energy resilience.
The proposed technical solution integrates advanced reverse osmosis with high-efficiency energy recovery and real-time digital control systems. Before defining this alternative, options such as thermal distillation and artificial wetlands were analyzed but discarded due to their high energy cost or low scalability in island territories with high demand. The new configuration will operate with a nominal capacity of 20,000 m³/day, benefiting more than 100,000 inhabitants, the tourism sector, and essential services such as hospitals and schools. The solution is hybrid in nature: it combines gray infrastructure with digital intelligence and environmental protocols that minimize impacts on the coastal ecosystem.
The technical justification is clear: it solves the problem of excessive energy consumption and the high environmental impact of brine, while strategically ensuring water security and compliance with international standards (ISO 14046, WHO, European drinking water directives). The selection criteria included energy efficiency, operating costs, replicability potential, and alignment with the Water Positive strategy under the principles of additionality, traceability, and intentionality.
The expected benefits are quantifiable: a reduction of 25 GWh per year in energy consumption, savings of more than USD 5 million annually in operation, and a tangible environmental improvement in water quality and quantity. It also foresees a reduction of more than 15,000 tons of CO₂ annually, lower use of chemicals, and safer discharges into the sea. Socially, the project provides health and education resilience by guaranteeing quality water for hospitals and schools, creates jobs in operation and maintenance, and strengthens the social license to operate. Economically, it ensures stability for tourism and opens doors to certifications and climate financing.
Operational risks include membrane failures, variability in seawater quality, saline intrusion, or potential social criticism of brine. To mitigate these, redundant systems, environmental contingency plans, shared governance with coastal authorities, and digital monitoring protocols that trigger alarms in case of deviations are incorporated. This ensures long-term resilience to climate change and variability in the island basin.
The model is highly replicable in other Caribbean islands, the Canary Islands, or Cape Verde, where technical and regulatory conditions are similar. Its competitiveness against alternatives is based on the cost-benefit ratio, energy efficiency, and external verification of results. Expansion can be enhanced through public-private partnerships, international cooperation, and green investment programs, consolidating Aruba as a pioneer in sustainable and scalable desalination solutions.
The implementation approach will be phased and adaptive, structured in well-defined stages. The first stage corresponds to a comprehensive diagnosis, establishing the baseline for energy consumption, indirect emissions, and water quality parameters, including current losses and process efficiency. Next, the design phase will incorporate technical specifications for next-generation reverse osmosis membranes, energy recovery systems, and the architecture of the IoT digital platform with blockchain for traceability. The third stage will be the installation and commissioning of equipment, with progressive flow adjustments and instrument calibration. Validation will consist of continuous operation tests under different demand and water quality scenarios, with real-time monitoring of KPIs such as kWh/m³, avoided emissions, guaranteed flow, chemical reduction, and operational stability. Finally, the project will move into a continuous operation phase with improvement and maintenance protocols.
The technologies selected were chosen over less efficient alternatives such as thermal distillation or conventional treatments due to their higher energy efficiency, lower environmental impact, and replicability. The system includes flow meters, multiparameter probes, IoT sensors, SCADA, and satellite remote sensing, with a nominal capacity exceeding 20,000 m³/day and stable performance to supply the population and tourism.
The baseline reference will be established with historical consumption data, seawater quality, and emission records. Performance indicators will be measured before, during, and after the project with accredited laboratory equipment, online sensors, and digital reports. Monitoring frequency will be continuous for IoT and monthly for external audits, ensuring accuracy and traceability.
Physical traceability is ensured from intake to distribution, while digital traceability will be managed through IoT, SCADA, and blockchain platforms. The system will generate automatic alarms in case of deviations and standardized reports. External validation will be carried out through independent audits and international verifiers.
Governance will involve the technical operator, local beneficiaries, external verifiers, and the regulatory authority. Roles will be clearly defined: operation and maintenance by the operator, independent monitoring by third parties, and regulatory validation by the authority. The plan includes preventive and corrective maintenance, with rapid response protocols for critical failures.
Monitoring will be done with VWBA/WQBA reports for m³ saved, regenerated, and contaminants removed, always comparing the with-project and without-project scenarios. Continuous improvement will be based on process adjustments, data feedback, and technological updates, ensuring the permanence of benefits over time. In addition, a local training program in operation and maintenance will be developed, strengthening community capacities and consolidating the project’s social sustainability.
The project in Aruba comprehensively modernizes its main desalination plant through advanced reverse osmosis, energy recovery, and smart digitalization. The main intervention focuses on optimizing the desalination process, incorporating high-efficiency membranes, pressure recovery systems, and IoT platforms for real-time control. The technical scheme includes advanced filtration pretreatment, reverse osmosis modules with a nominal capacity exceeding 20,000 m³/day, and a final remineralization stage to ensure safe potable water quality. Direct users are more than 100,000 inhabitants, as well as the tourism sector and essential services such as hospitals and schools. The entire system complies with international standards (ISO 14046, WHO, national drinking water legislation, and European directives), ensuring global validation.
The relevance of this solution is evident: it addresses the high energy consumption of more than 4.5 kWh/m³ and the environmental pressure of brine discharge that currently affects coastal ecosystems. Compared to the baseline situation of high costs and environmental risks, the project offers a qualitative leap in efficiency and sustainability. The solution is suitable in this insular context due to its ability to reduce energy dependency, adapt to climate variability, and decrease environmental footprint, providing water and social resilience.
The expected results are clear: a 20–25% reduction in energy consumption (25 GWh/year), annual operating savings exceeding USD 5 million, production of more than 20,000 m³/day of potable water with lower environmental impact, reduced pretreatment chemicals, and up to 15,000 tons of CO₂ avoided each year. Environmentally, it ensures reef and biodiversity protection, while in public health it guarantees basic safe water services. Strategically, the project reinforces the Water Positive roadmap by quantifying benefits in m³ and avoided emissions, integrates tangible ESG commitments such as reputation, social license, and regulatory compliance, and connects with global agendas (SBTi, NPWI, SDGs, and ESRS E3).
Its replicability is high: it can be applied in other Caribbean islands, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and coastal territories with water stress. Technical conditions are similar, and social conditions demand water resilience. Scalability is ensured through partnerships between operators, governments, and communities, as well as access to green financing. The final expected impact is robust: it contributes to the island’s water balance, improves climate resilience, generates jobs, and strengthens community governance. It sends a clear message to investors, clients, and society: transforming water dependency into global leadership is possible and marks the path toward a regenerative water economy.
