Semirara, UP to build first academe-based Failure Analysis Hub

Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC), through its subsidiary SEM-Calaca Power Corp. (SCPC), teamed up with the University of the Philippines (UP) and the UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation Inc. (UPERDFI) to launch the country’s first academe-based Failure Analysis (FA) Hub.

Failure analysis involves examining components to predict when industrial equipment may fail – a critical process for ensuring safety and continuity in heavy industries.

Due to limited local access to FA, many utility providers have historically outsourced these services overseas, incurring higher costs and longer turnaround times. With SMPC’s investment in the FA Hub, these services can now be conducted locally, reducing costs and building local expertise.

The partnership establishes the FA Hub with its own funding and operational structure, enabling engineers and researchers to independently offer services that identify the causes of material and structural failures.

The initiative builds on SMPC’s 2023 donation of specialized equipment to the UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (UP DMMME), which has provided engineering students with additional hands-on experience in materials testing and failure analysis.

“Genuinely empowering people is not a one-time act of support, but a continuous effort that fosters self-sufficiency and long-term stability,” said Charlie Robles, SMPC vice president and power complex manager.

UPERDFI president Angelito Bermudo stressed the importance of empowering Filipino engineers, noting that easier access to failure analysis could help reduce unplanned power plant outages.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to SMPC for investing in the future of Filipino engineers, and for empowering the UP to lead in the critical fields of failure analysis and material science,” Bermudo said.

UP Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II welcomed the partnership as an exercise in nation-building that will benefit industries and the public.

“This Failure Analysis Hub is more than just a new facility – it is a strategic investment in the future of Philippine engineering by building DMMME’s capacity to offer failure analysis techniques,” Vistan said.

TSMPC, UPERDFI and the University of the Philippines aim to nurture a new generation of globally-competitive Filipino engineers committed to innovation and nation-building.