About us

Water- en Energiebedrijf Bonaire N.V. (WEB) was founded in 1963 and is owned by the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB). WEB is responsible for the sustainable, reliable and affordable supply of drinking water and electricity on Bonaire. We are working for over 20,000 households, companies and organizations on the island.

Bonaire is developing rapidly. The population is growing, tourism is developing. WEB invests a great deal to secure an appropriate level of the energy and drinking water supply. That also implies: contributing to the sustainable development of the island.

Therefore Bonaire invests in ‘green energy’: energy from renewable sources, such as wind, sun and algae, with the use of the best technology. WEB has also extended the collection and treatment of wastewater and the distribution of irrigation water. In 2021 WEB will independently be producing drinking water.

The team of WEB currently consists of 146 employees. They are working together at the water and energy company from and for the community of Bonaire: ‘Let’s do it together’.

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Mission

WEB contributes to the public health, self-reliance and a high quality standard of living on Bonaire. This we do by providing a reliable, sustainable and affordable supply of drinking water and electricity and the processing of wastewater.

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Core values

Core values are an important part of the corporate culture at WEB. They are the principles in our management and in the actions of our employees. Our core values are:

Open and honest communication
Say what you want to say. But keep it professional, do not attack each other and do not gossip.
Recognition and appreciation
Treat the other as you want to be treated. Give each other attention. Show your appreciation for the other.
Responsibility
Say what you are doing and do what you are saying. Take your own responsibility. Don’t let another person solve your problems.
Grow together, develop together
Support each other in growth and development. Share information, do not keep your knowledge for yourself. Together we will go much further.
Customer first
The customers are not there for us, we are there for the customers – internally and externally.
Excellence
Work with passion, dedication and conviction to take WEB and the customer further.

Organization

WEB belongs to and is part of the community of Bonaire. As Public Limited Company WEB is directly accountable to the Public Entity of Bonaire. Web has a three-headed board of directors. A Supervisory Board consisting of five members supervises the board of directors.

Board of Directors
Raymond Silberie,CEO
Joanne Balentien-Nicastia, CFO
Gerrit Scharrenberg, COO

Supervisory Board
Mr. G.A. de Haan (Chairman of the Supervisory Board)
Mr. A.G.G Stacie
Mrs. E.G. Martijn

The team of WEB consists of 163 employees.

Profit is not an end in itself for WEB. Our management is concerned with profits and efficiency. We need those for investments. WEB must continue investing to be able to ensure modern, reliable and sustainable service also in the future.

Good Governance

The community of Bonaire must be confident of sound and trustworthy corporate management of WEB. Our guideline for this is the ‘Corporate Governance Code Island Territory of Bonaire’.

This code establishes standards for, among others, organizational structure, articles of incorporation, good governance, supervision, transparency, external reporting and financial control.

Download here the Corporate Governance Code Island Territory of Bonaire.

Annual report

Here you can download an abridged version of our annual report 2021.

Do you desire full disclosure of the annual report? Then submit a written petition. Send your petition per letter to Kaya Gresia 6 or per e-mail to info@webbonaire.com

History

For over 58 years WEB works for the community of Bonaire. Read here the highlights in our history!

1955
The ‘Overzeese Gas- en Elektriciteitsmaatschappij’ (OGEM) starts its activities on Bonaire.

1963
The Water Distribution Service (‘Dienst Water Distributie’ – DWD) is founded.

1978
DWD and OGEM merge under a new name: Water- en Energiebedrijf Bonaire N.V.

1998
The production of drinking water on Bonaire – the water plant in Hato – switches to ‘reverse osmosis’. This technology was developed mid-90’s. Seawater is pressed through a membrane under high pressure which filters out salts and minerals. Before that time seawater was desalinated by evaporation. In doing so, hot wastewater with high salt concentrations were released. Reversed osmosis is more sustainable and efficient.

2007
WEB conducts a trial with ‘prepaid’ electricity at 35 households in the urban residential district Amboina. It is a success. To pay in advance and be able to exactly track the power consumption appeals to many people. By now it is impossible to imagine the island without ‘Pagabon’.

2009
WEB starts purchasing ‘green power’ from the wind energy farm park at Morotin. The farm was constructed by Ecopower. In 2013 ContourGlobal Bonaire, WEB’s partner in the production of electricity takes the wind energy farm over.

2013
The first wastewater treatment plant (RWZI) is built on Bonaire. The plant purifies wastewater collected from cesspools and septic tanks. WEB is responsible for the exploitation.

WEB as one of the first companies on Bonaire signs a covenant with UNKOBON (Union di Konsumido Bonaire (Consumer Association Bonaire)).

2014
WEB operates the second wastewater treatment plant at the Kaminda Lagun. This Waste Water Treatment Plant (RWZI) is part of the Bonaire Sewerage & Sanitation System (BSSS) along the coastal strip of Kralendijk. This closed sewage system operates on an advanced vacuum technology.

The water plant in Hato is expanded with a new production unit. This brings the drinking water capacity to 4800 m3 per day. Consumption in 2014 is around 4400 m3 per day.

After 28 years the logo of WEB is restyled. The logo, the new corporate identity and the new website are presented with a great ceremony to the employees, cooperation partners and public.

2015
Commissioned by WEB the Solar Pilot Barcadera is launched. It is a test setup of 792 solar panels. With this pilot WEB examines the returns and the impact on the electricity grid of a central plant for solar energy.

Once again a desalination unit in Hato is constructed. With this WEB produces 1,600 m3 drinking water per day is produced under own management. This brings the total production capacity at 5,600 m3 per day. The contracts with WEB’s American partner GE Suez will end in 2019. Therefore WEB gradually brings the drinking water production under its own management.

WEB’s emergency service number already was available 24/7. With making the number toll free WEB expands its services for its clients.

2016
WEB and knowledge center TNO Caribbean sign a framework agreement for technical and economic support concerning the expansion of the electricity production.

July 1^st the new BES Electricity and Drinking Water Act comes into effect. The law regulates several aspects of production and distribution of electricity and drinking water on Bonaire. The legislator designates the Authority Consumer & Market (ACM) to calculate the rates as independent supervisor.

2017
WEB concludes the Master plan Water and the Master plan Electricity 2017-2030. In these plans is calculated what is necessary to keep up the rapid development and economic growth of Bonaire.

WEB establishes the business unit Major Projects for the coordination of large strategic projects for the water and electricity supply and wastewater treatment on Bonaire.

On Bonaire there is great interest in the solar panel installation. This requires close cooperation with the inhabitants and companies. WEB must continue to guarantee the safety and stability of the electricity grid. Therefore the solar panel installations must be registered. When the petition, installation and inspection have been completed successfully, WEB and the customer enter into an agreement in which re-delivery of the generated electricity to the grid is included.

2018
Bonaire obtains a completely new tariff system for water and electricity. The new system has fixed rates for water and electricity; the height is determined by the connection capacity. Furthermore, there is a variable rate based on the consumption.

2019
WEB realizes the 10,000^th connection for drinking water.

The hybrid power plant at Karpata is expanded with 5 diesel generators. Batteries and inverters are renewed and the plant has an advanced power management system. Because of this the energy of the generators, wind turbines and batteries can be used smartly. This brings the capacity of the plant to 10 MW.

The first shovel ceremonially goes into the ground for the second water treatment plant at Hato. The new reversed osmosis installation brings Bonaire a step closer to production of its own drinking water. The new water plant (expected completion July 2021) is designed for 6,400 m3 drinking water per day, with an option for expansion to 7,200 m3.

2020
The vacuum sewage system along the coastal strip of Kralendijk is expanded. In Belnem a second vacuum station will come that makes possible 173 new house connections. In Hato the new vacuum infrastructure is strengthened and 45 new house connections are realized.

The COVID-19 pandemic also affects Bonaire. The operations of WEB will continue taking into account the calamity plan of the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) of the Public Entity Bonaire (OLB).