ABOITIZ POWER CORP. (AboitizPower) and Japanese energy firm JERA established a training hub in Batangas to build up the industry’s workforce.
The Global Technical Center of Excellence (GTCOE) is geared towards developing world-class technical talent, AboitizPower said in a statement.
“The GTCOE is a platform where technical expertise meets with leadership, adaptability, safety, and global readiness. It is designed to foster a community of technical leaders, lifelong learners, and collaborators,” AboitizPower Transition Business Group President and Chief Operating Officer Celso Caballero III said during the facility’s inauguration on Monday.
“It is our way of ensuring that as the energy landscape changes, our people are not just keeping up, but leading the way,” he added.
Situated at the LIMA Commercial Center, LIMA Estate, the GTCOE will provide operations and maintenance (O&M) education and hands-on training at AboitizPower-affiliated facilities GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin.
The partnership between the two companies builds on the launch of a talent exchange program in 2023 focused on enhancing technical expertise in O&M.
“While JERA and AboitizPower operate in different markets, our expertise and perspectives complement each other. GTCOE is more than a training facility. It’s a hub for innovation and shared growth. It will equip engineers, technicians, and operators with the skills they need at every stage of their careers,” JERA President and Chief Executive Officer Hisahide Okuda said.
Meanwhile, JERA is Japan’s largest power generator with businesses that include liquefied natural gas upstream projects, fuel procurement, fuel transportation, and power generation. Its subsidiary JERA Asia holds a 27% stake in AboitizPower. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera