News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. June 4, 2024: U.S. President Joseph R. Biden has appointed Howard Law Professor and Founder of the Garvey-Nkrumah Development Incubator, John Woods, Jr., to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Arbitrators and Conciliators. ICSID is the world’s leading international arbitration institution dedicated to investor-state dispute settlement. Professor Woods will serve a six-year term on the Panel, through 2030.

U.S. President Joseph R. Biden has named Howard Law Professor and Founder of the Garvey-Nkrumah Development Incubator, John Woods, Jr., to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, (ICSID), Panel of Arbitrators and Conciliators.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Woods said: “I am humbled that I was selected by President Biden to serve in this capacity.  From the quest to sustain industrial peace to formulating equitable solutions in addressing international investment disputes, the world is increasingly leaning in and leveraging ADR to resolve both domestic and cross-border conflict.  I am excited to serve and contribute to advancing this effort.”

Attorney Woods brings over 20 years of experience in international law and dispute resolution, offering his expertise in legal, international development, and dispute resolution services across the U.S., Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, and Africa. His areas of specialization include transportation, construction, professional sports, labor, commercial transactions, securities, international investment, and real estate.

Recently, Woods was awarded a Fulbright Scholars Award (2024) for the Garvey-Nkrumah Development Incubator, a cross-cultural development program he founded. This initiative from Woods’ AFCA Development Group is a summer leadership and professional development program aimed at training aspiring lawyers of African descent in the US, the Caribbean, and Africa. The focus is on fields that serve as pillars to international and economic development and where such lawyers are grossly underrepresented: international law, trade & development, public policy, and conflict resolution.

The program, founded in 2022 is coordinated in partnership with a consortium of U.S., Caribbean, and African colleges and universities, including Howard University School of Law (ADR Program), the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School, The University of the West Indies (UWI) Faculty of Law (Cave Hill Campus, Barbados), and UWI-Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy, and Services, as well as international governmental organizations, including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

Established in honor of international civil rights leaders, political theorists, and dignitaries Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah, this fellowship provides a comprehensive “experiential learning laboratory” for program participants.

By Keith Bernard

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 28, 2024: The 4th Annual Conference of Small Island Developing States 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a striking allegation against major risk rating agencies, claiming they exhibit notable bias against small Caribbean states. His comments were strongly supported by the Prime Ministers of Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda, who echoed the sentiment that these agencies’ practices are not only unjust but also detrimental to the economic well-being of their nations.

Guterres highlighted that the risk assessments provided by these agencies often unfairly penalize small island states, inflating their perceived risk and thus raising borrowing costs. This, he argued, exacerbates the financial vulnerabilities of these nations, which are already grappling with the impacts of climate change, limited economic diversification, and small domestic markets. The Secretary-General’s critique suggests that the methodologies employed by these agencies fail to consider the unique challenges and resilience of small island economies, leading to a skewed and overly pessimistic view of their financial health.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados and Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda reinforced Guterres’ assertions, pointing out specific instances where inflated risk ratings have led to prohibitively high interest rates on loans. This, they argued, stifles economic growth and development efforts. Mottley emphasized the need for a fairer, more nuanced approach to risk assessment that recognizes the efforts of Caribbean nations to build resilience and sustainability.

Browne added that such biased ratings undermine international support and investment, further isolating these nations from the global financial system. He called for a revision of the criteria used by these agencies, advocating for a framework that considers climate vulnerability and resilience-building measures as positive factors.

The conference concluded with a unified call for reform in risk rating practices, emphasizing the need for a more equitable system that supports rather than hinders the progress of small island states. This collective stance aims to spark a global dialogue on the critical importance of fair and just financial evaluation standards.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Fri. May 24, 2024: Caribbean-owned AD and PR agency, Hard Beat Communications, the black and women owned, global multicultural content creation and distribution agency that is part of ICN Group, today announced its recognition as a 2024 Spring Global Award winner for multi-cultural promotional services on Clutch, the leading global marketplace of B2B service providers. Honorees are selected based on their industry expertise and ability to deliver scores that are calculated based on the client feedback from thousands of reviews published on Clutch.

“Hard Beat Communications is honored to be recognized as a 2024 Spring Clutch Global Award winner,” said ICN Group CEO, Guyana-born Caribbean immigrant, Felicia J. Persaud. “This award is a testament to the excellent client work we have delivered this year as recognized through the voice of our customers in their reviews on Clutch. We’re proud to be recognized as a multi-cultural PR and ad agency leader on a global scale. Clutch Global Awards showcases the very best in the B2B services industry worldwide.”

“It is a joy to witness the incredible success of leading companies worldwide on our platform, and an even greater joy to recognize these companies as Clutch Global honorees,” said Sonny Ganguly, Clutch CEO. “Their dedication to delivering next-level services to clients has not only bolstered their own success but empowered numerous clients to thrive as well. In recognizing this spring’s Clutch Global honorees, we aim to showcase industry leaders and encourage connections for Clutch users seeking tailored services to achieve their goals.”

ABOUT HARD BEATHard Beat Communications is an award-winning, multicultural content creation and distribution, woman owned full-service business solutions agency that offers companies all the tools they need to target the multi-cultural market. Hard Beat provides our clients with all the marketing tools they need to reach their diversity goals – from multi-cultural content to distribution, to digital tools and SEO.

Hard Beat is part of the Black market of millions and we can help your brand show up differently in targeting the African American and Caribbean market as well as getting your content to the African, Asian and Latino markets.  Our diverse  solutions and team can help you easily build your brand through content and media buys in this diverse marketplace.

Hard Beat is part of the ICN Group of Companies that includes CaribPR Wire, News Americas News Network and Invest Caribbean. It knows the Black and Caribbean marketplace like our own hands. Reach your diversity goals with us as your partner.

ABOUT CLUTCH Clutch empowers better business decisions as the leading global marketplace of B2B service providers. More than 1 million business leaders start at Clutch each month to read in-depth client interviews and discover trusted agency partners to meet their business needs. Clutch has been honored for the past 6 consecutive years as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company and by the Washington Business Journal as one of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in the DC metro area for 2023.

News Americas, WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, Mon. May 20, 2024: Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the Caribbean island of Curaҫao with a 25 MW / 25 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The system will enable the expansion of renewable energy capacity and the reduction of carbon emissions, representing an important step towards a sustainable energy future for the island. The order was placed by Aqualectra, Curacao’s government owned utilities company, and will be booked by Wärtsilä in Q2, 2024.

Aqualectra and Wärtsilä representatives celebrate the order of a 25 MW / 25 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the Caribbean island of Curaҫao. From left to right: Rudolf Garmes, Joseph Everon, Reagan Celestijn, Marc Tarbox, Tganni Louisy, Neysa Isenia, Vianney Muzo, Staffan Nygard, Mathias West, Christoffer Ek, Edul Raphaela, Granger Jahnastasio.

The BESS and the GEMS Digital Energy Platform will provide grid stability and reliability, reduce unserved energy and help mitigate the risk of brownouts and blackouts. In addition, the BESS system will allow Aqualectra to expand their renewables’ vision thus allowing more renewable generation in the power system. The BESS system will also help smooth the intermittency of renewables.

“Aqualectra’s strategic objective is to provide the community with affordable, sustainable, and reliable electricity. The Wärtsilä solution will support all these objectives through reducing generation costs, enabling the integration of renewables, and decreasing CO2 emissions, while providing high reliability,” comments Joseph Everon, Advisor to the CTO at Aqualectra.

The order with Wärtsilä follows a detailed modelling of the power system to determine the best way forward.

“The BESS and GEMS provide the reserves needed to improve asset loading, and therefore efficiency, availability of energy, grid stability and reliability. Wärtsilä’s leading technologies and our capabilities of lifecycle services will support Aqualectra’s vision of a sustainable energy future. We are pleased to continue our close partnership with this project,” says Christoffer Ek, Director of Decarbonisation services at Wärtsilä Energy.

“The Caribbean has been an important region for Wärtsilä for decades and we have established many long-term relationships over that time. Aqualectra has been one of those great partners and this announcement to add BESS to their system with Wärtsilä is another sign of that strong relationship. Wärtsilä is here with solutions and capabilities for the Caribbean, and we are excited to continue serving this market for decades to come,” says Jon Rodriguez, Energy Business Director at Wärtsilä Energy.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery in Q1/2025, and the project is expected to be fully operational by the end of Q2/2025.

Aqualectra is an existing Wärtsilä customer. The company operates three Wärtsilä engine power plants comprising a total of 16 generating sets.

All Wärtsilä releases are available at www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases and at news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation where also the images can be downloaded. Use of the image(s) is allowed only in connection with the contents of this press release. Wärtsilä images are available at www.wartsila.com/media/image-bank.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise. Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels. Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity, of which 18 GW are under service agreements, and over 125 energy storage systems, in 180 countries around the world.
www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,800 professionals in more than 280 locations in 79 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2023, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.0 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

News Americas, ORANJESTAD, Aruba, Fri. May 17, 2024: Technology group Wärtsilä and Water – En Energiebedrijf Aruba N.V. (WEB) will celebrate the final takeover of Recip Phase IV, a 102 MW dual-fuel power plant on the Caribbean island of Aruba. The celebration marks the completion of four power plant projects with Wärtsilä delivered over the past 20 years. Wärtsilä supplied these plants on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis. WEB’s baseload power production is based on an all-Wärtsilä generating fleet totalling 194 MW.

WEB Aruba’s Recip Phase IV Plant

In 2017, WEB began an earnest effort to diversify its fuel mix with liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Recip Phase IV power plant features six Wärtsilä 18V50DF dual-fuel engines which can operate on both liquid and gaseous fuels, allowing for the transition to cleaner fuels. Initially, the plant will operate on heavy fuel oil (HFO) and transition to LNG as it becomes available on the island. The increased efficiency and transition to LNG will reduce overall emissions from the WEB generating complex.

As WEB continues to add renewables to the island, the flexibility provided by Wärtsilä’s faststarting and stopping engines will enable optimal use of these intermittent resources while ensuring system stability. Renewables, such as wind and solar, are highly variable in their energy production. The flexibility provided by Wärtsilä engine technology will allow for increased adoption of renewables while avoiding grid instability and blackouts, renewable curtailment, and higher system costs.

WEB Aruba has selected the most efficient assets to complement renewables as WEB works to build a reliable, renewable energy future for Aruba. Wärtsilä’s engine power plants have replaced older units with more efficient and flexible generation. The fuel flexibility provided by dual-fuel engines adds resiliency to the company’s system while also allowing for the transition to cleaner fuels and lower emissions.

“We are excited to partner with utilities like WEB who are actively making the energy transition happen. As the Caribbean region works to decarbonise electricity generation, it is crucial to increase system flexibility to manage cost, maintain reliability and optimally enable renewables to perform,” said Jon Rodriguez, Director, Engine Power Plants, North America at Wärtsilä Energy.

The final takeover signing ceremony will take place at the WEB Aruba on 17 May, 2024.

© Wärtsilä Corporation

All Wärtsilä releases are available at www.wartsila.com/media/news-releases and at news.cision.com/wartsila-corporation where also the images can be downloaded. Use of the image(s) is allowed only in connection with the contents of this press release. Wärtsilä images are available at www.wartsila.com/media/image-bank.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief

Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise. Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels. Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity, of which 18 GW are under service agreements, and over 125 energy storage systems, in 180 countries around the world.

www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,800 professionals in more than 280 locations in 79 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2023, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.0 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.