SMPC, UP to put up PH's first academe-based failure analysis hub

Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC), through subsidiary SEM-Calaca Power Corporation (SCPC), teamed up with the University of the Philippines (UP) to establish the first academe-based failure analysis hub in the country.

A memorandum of agreement was signed on July 17 to formalize the establishment of the FA Hub, which will have funding and an operational structure to enable engineers and researchers to independently offer failure analysis services that pinpoint the causes of material and structural failures.

SCPC has pledged an initial investment of around P3 million for the FA Hub to be set up by the UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering (UP DMME), with the UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation, Inc. tasked with handling the donations and acting as a liaison between UP and SCPC, a report on the UP Diliman website said.

"Failure analysis involves examining components to predict when industrial equipment may fail—a critical process for ensuring safety and continuity in heavy industries," SMPC said in a press release.

"Due to limited local access to FA, many utility providers have had to outsource these services overseas, incurring higher costs and longer turnaround times. With SMPC’s investment in the FA Hub, these services can now be conducted locally, reducing costs and building local expertise."

UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II said the FA Hub is a "strategic investment in the future of Philippine engineering."

In 2023, SMPC donated specialized equipment to the UP DMME, which gave engineering students additional opportunities for hands-on experience in materials testing and failure analysis.

"Genuinely empowering people is not a one-time act of support, but a continuous effort that fosters self-sufficiency and long-term stability," SMPC vice president and power complex manager Charlie Robles said. —VBL, GMA Integrated News