MALVAR, Batangas—Aboitiz Power Corp. and Japanese firm JERA Co. Inc. on Monday launched a new training facility to develope technical talent for the power generation industry.
The Global Technical Center of Excellence (GTCOE) at the LIMA Commercial Center, LIMA Estate in Batangas will serve as a hub for training a “competent workforce” in a “rapidly evolving sector,” said Celso Caballero III, president and chief operating officer of AboitizPower’s Transition Business Group.
“The GTCOE is a platform where technical expertise meets with leadership, adaptability, safety, and global readiness,” Caballero said.
“It is designed to foster a community of technical leaders, lifelong learners, and collaborators,” he said.
AboitizPower and JERA’s partnership began in December 2021 when JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, acquired a roughly 27-percent equity stake in AboitizPower through its subsidiary, JERA Asia.
The collaboration expanded in July 2023 with a talent exchange program that deployed engineers to each other’s power plants to enhance technical expertise in operations and maintenance (O&M). The new center builds on these efforts, further strengthening the companies’ goal of developing a talent pipeline for the energy industry.
Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo said the GTCOE “reflects the spirit of Japan-Philippines bilateral cooperation” and is a “powerful symbol” of the two countries’ commitment to investing in people.
The center will provide O&M education and hands-on training at two AboitizPower-affiliated facilities: GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin. Once fully operational, the GTCOE also plans to partner with academic institutions, industry groups, government, and international organizations.
“The GTCOE represents a natural extension of this collaboration, focused on exchanging knowledge, developing energy talent, and creating lasting value for the broader energy ecosystem,” said JERA corporate vice president Tetsuya Watabe.
The Department of Energy lauded the initiative, with Marissa Cerezo, director of the Renewable Energy Management Bureau, noting that the GTCOE comes at an “opportune time” for reskilling and upskilling the workforce.
AboitizPower and JERA are also collaborating on other initiatives, including exploring the use of fuel ammonia in coal-fired power plants and developing hydrogen and ammonia supply chains in the Philippines.
