ABOITIZ POWER Corp. (AboitizPower) plans to expand the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to its coal-fired power plants in Luzon and the Visayas to help ensure plant availability and reliability.
In a statement on Thursday, AboitizPower Transition Business Group President and Chief Operating Officer Celso Caballero III said the company is set to complete AI implementation at its Visayas plants and will begin rollout in Luzon next year.
This initiative follows AboitizPower’s partnership with Thailand-based REPCO NEX Industrial Solutions to transform its conventional coal-fired plants into smart facilities.
The 340-megawatt (MW) Therma Visayas, Inc. plant in Toledo City, Cebu, and the 300-MW Therma South, Inc. plant in Davao City were the initial sites for Project Arkanghel.
Project Arkanghel features a unified operations center equipped with digital twin technologies, early warning and anomaly detection systems, and an end-to-end integrated live asset health monitoring system. The center enables engineers to anticipate potential issues and optimize plant operations.
“The first phase of Project Arkanghel is up and running, currently in one of our circulating fluidized bed plants in Mindanao,” Mr. Caballero said, referring to the Cebu plant.
According to the company, AI-based systems can enhance plant efficiency, resulting in lower heat rates, improved fuel use, reduced unplanned outages, and longer intervals between scheduled maintenance. These data-driven systems are designed to support more accurate and confident decision-making.
Mr. Caballero said integrating AI and data analytics into its baseload power plants is intended to help address issues related to growing electricity demand, disaster resilience, and cost affordability.
“The expansion of Project Arkanghel to AboitizPower’s coal plants in Luzon and Visayas is a pragmatic step in the company’s balanced energy mix strategy,” the company said.
“It acknowledges the immediate need for stable, dependable, and cost-effective baseload power while renewable energy capacities continue to grow,” it added.
AboitizPower is the Aboitiz Group’s investment vehicle for power generation, distribution, and retail electricity, as well as related energy solutions.
The company aims to expand its generation portfolio with renewable and selected baseload projects. It seeks to grow its renewables business through assets powered by indigenous energy sources such as solar, hydro, geothermal, and wind. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
