Tap into power force advantage — Rubio

Aboitiz Power Corp. has urged an upskilling of the power sector workforce across the Indo-Pacific region as a crucial measure to overcome challenges in achieving an energy-secure future.

During a breakout panel at the 2024 Indo-Pacific Business Forum last week, AboitizPower president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio emphasized the need for skilled analysts, project managers, business developers, and modelers in the region.

As such, he suggested that each country should tap into its competitive advantage then and work together to further maximize the benefits for all members.

“We need to accept the constraints of variable renewable energy but we also need to be creative in tapping solutions to make sure we are addressing the targets,” Rubio maintained.

Form centers of excellence

 “If we really would like to move forward, one of the things that we can consider is developing centers of excellence in different countries,” he explained. 

The panel recognized that developing and retaining a skilled workforce for the clean energy transition is a universal challenge that requires collaborative efforts.

AboitizPower is working with its Japanese partner, JERA Co. Inc., to develop and share manpower expertise and experience.

Last year, a Philippine Power Industry HR Forum presented by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. and AboitizPower found that skills and competency gaps or mismatch and a limited talent pool were among the most cited challenges in the human resources field in the Philippine energy sector.

The Philippine government’s target is a 35 percent renewable share in its total energy mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. 

To support this, AboitizPower has committed to building 3,700 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity en route to 4,600 megawatts by 2030. 

The energy firm’s renewable energy portfolio is composed of solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and energy storage system developments.