AboitizPower and JERA Inaugurate "Global Technical Center of Excellence" in the Philippines to Strengthen Technical Talent Development

(L-R) Director of the Renewable Energy Management Bureau Marissa Cerezo expresses the Department of Energy’s support for the GTCOE to AboitizPower and JERA, represented respectively by President & CEO Danel Aboitiz and President, Director, CEO, & COO Hisahide Okuda, in the presence of the Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Endo Kazuya.

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) and JERA Co., Inc. (JERA) launched the “Global Technical Center of Excellence” (GTCOE), a training facility located at the LIMA Commercial Center, LIMA Estate in Batangas, Philippines. The center aims to serve as a hub for developing world-class technical talent across both companies to support the broader power generation industry.

​The partnership between the two firms began in December 2021 when JERA invested in AboitizPower. The collaboration expanded in July 2023 with the launch of a talent exchange program focused on enhancing technical expertise in operations and maintenance (O&M). Through reciprocal deployment of engineers to each other’s power plants, the program creates a platform for cross-border learning and knowledge sharing.

The establishment of the GTCOE builds on these efforts, further strengthening the two companies’ advocacy of developing a pipeline of talent for the energy industry. The center will provide O&M education and hands-on training at AboitizPower-affiliated facilities GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin. 

Once fully operational, the GTCOE will function as a platform for technical training and knowledge-sharing, developing well-rounded professionals with strong technical expertise, leadership, adaptability, and interpersonal skills. In addition, to broaden its reach and impact, the GTCOE plans to onboard and foster partnerships with academia, industry groups, government, and international organizations.

“A competent workforce is needed, especially in a rapidly evolving sector such as power generation,” said AboitizPower Transition Business Group President and Chief Operating Officer Celso Caballero III.  

“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,” he added. “It is our way of ensuring that as the energy landscape changes, our people are not just keeping up, but leading the way.”

“JERA and AboitizPower have built a strong trusted partnership grounded in shared values and a common commitment to the future of energy in the region. 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,” added JERA Corporate Vice President and Chief O&M Engineering Officer Tetsuya Watabe.

AboitizPower is one of the largest power producers in the Philippines, with a balanced portfolio of power generation assets in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It also operates distribution utilities that operate in high-growth areas across the country and provides retail electricity services to qualified commercial and industrial end-users.

JERA is Japan’s largest power generator and a global energy leader, with capabilities across the entire energy supply chain — from participation in LNG upstream projects and fuel procurement, through fuel transportation to power generation. Through its subsidiary JERA Asia, it holds approximately 27% equity in AboitizPower. 

“We at the Department of Energy recognize that one of the most valuable resources is our people — dedicated professionals, engineers, and workers who drive the energy sector forward,” said Department of Energy Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director Marissa Cerezo. “We likewise recognize that the sector continues to evolve and transform, which underscores the urgent need for reskilling and rightskilling our workforce. In this regard, the establishment of the GTCOE could not have come at a more opportune time.”

“The GTCOE reflects the spirit of Japan-Philippines bilateral cooperation, a relationship rooted in shared values, mutual trust, and decades of fruitful engagement,” remarked Ambassador of Japan to the Philippines Kazuya Endo. “Investing in people is one of the most meaningful ways we can contribute to long-term progress, and the GTCOE is a powerful symbol of that commitment. We look forward to witnessing many positive outcomes in the years to come.”

In addition to the GTCOE, AboitizPower and JERA are also collaborating on initiatives to jointly explore fuel ammonia substitution in coal-fired power plants and the development of hydrogen and ammonia supply chains in the Philippines.