Aboitiz Power Corp. is looking at applying the “digital twin” principle across its power generating plants to increase efficiency and reliability and manage downtime, its executives said.
AboitizPower teamed up with REPCO NEX Industrial Solutions of Thailand to introduce the Philippines’ first smart power plants as part of the Aboitiz Group’s push towards a “techglomerate.”
The project, dubbed “Project Arkanghel,” will develop digital twins for AboitizPower’s circulating fluidized bed (CFB) coal-fired power plants including the 300-megawatt Therma South plant in Davao City and the 340-MW Therma Visayas Plant in Toledo City, Cebu.
Digital twins are a virtual replica of a power plant that mimics its operational processes and systems, giving operators a tool that can simulate or stress-test scenarios and detect faults and glitches earlier and in real time, all within a virtual environment.
“To answer your question, we can apply this to all of the plants,” AboitizPower Thermal chief operating officer of operated assets Aldo Ramos.
Aboitiz Data Innovation chief executive David Hardoon said the principle of digital twin requires enough data and asset information.
“We had to go for a learning program to understand our broilers to build this, that being said, it is applicable to critical equipment, it is also applicable to some point to the balance of plant, for the entire place,” Hardoon said.
“Any industrial operations that uses raw materials can use this,” he said.
AboitizPower, Aboitiz Data Innovation and REPCO NEX held the ceremonial signing of project Arkanghel in Thailand recently, marking a milestone for the Aboitiz Group as it embarks on a journey of innovation that will transform the future of the Philippine energy landscape and even Southeast Asia.
Both assets will serve as pioneer models for future installations in other thermal sites.
A digital-enabled power plant will streamline data collection and review for the benefit of asset health monitoring, life cycle management and predictive maintenance.
AboitizPower executives said the proactive action spurred by these insights could result in shorter planned and unplanned downtimes, thus increasing plant reliability.
AboitizPower chief finance officer Sandro Aboitiz said the Philippine energy landscape is constantly evolving towards transition, while the economy continues to grow at a rapid pace, requiring new sources of dependable and reliable power supply.
“We also see the impact of the continuing decentralization and digitalization of the energy value chain, supported by enabling policies and technological advancement,” he said.
