Aboitiz Power Corporation is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies to improve the safety and reliability of its renewable energy operations.
Through its renewable energy arm, Aboitiz Renewables Inc., the company is using digital twins, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to create virtual models of power plant sites. These tools help monitor terrain and predict natural hazards like landslides.
“We’re not waiting for risks to materialize – we’re actively predicting and preventing them,” said Galen Alova, Aboitiz Renewables SAVP for Reliability, Engineering & Asset Management. “By leveraging AI technology, we give our engineers the tools to continuously monitor and assess potential landslides, enabling us to maintain safe, reliable energy production with minimal disruption.”
The system is currently in use at the company’s run-of-river hydropower plants operated by Hedcor, a subsidiary of Aboitiz Renewables.
“Our focus is to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of clean energy as much as possible, no matter the external challenges,” said Noreen Vicencio, Aboitiz Renewables First Vice President and General Manager for Hydro Operations. “This AI technology enables our engineers to better anticipate potential risks, minimize disruptions, and even help secure the communities we serve.”
Future updates to the system will include more geohazard data, such as earthquake-related risks, to enhance its predictive capabilities.
“With these advancements, we are helping shape a more secure and sustainable energy future,” Vicencio said. “It’s about using innovation to protect not only our operations but also the communities and the environment that rely on clean, renewable energy.”
In addition to site monitoring technology, AboitizPower operates a centralized National Operations Control Center (NOCC), which remotely manages 28 renewable energy facilities across the country. Despite many of the plants being in remote, mountainous areas, NOCC engineers can operate and monitor them from a single location.
The NOCC also uses AI, data science, and analytics to streamline operations, reduce downtime, and improve response times to system anomalies.
To support maintenance, AboitizPower deploys drones at several of its hydropower and solar plants. These drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, allowing engineers to conduct inspections more efficiently.
Using drones reduces the need for manual inspections and speeds up maintenance tasks, helping minimize operational interruptions.
AboitizPower is one of the largest power producers and distributors in the Philippines, with assets across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It has the country’s largest renewable energy portfolio under its operational control, alongside thermal power plants that meet baseload and peak demands.
The company’s efforts are aligned with the Aboitiz Group’s “Great Transformation” strategy, launched in 2022, which aims to position the group as the Philippines’ first “Techglomerate.” The initiative focuses on combining digital innovation and people development to support national energy goals and economic growth.
