Aboitiz companies Therma South Inc. (TSI) and Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. are fully harnessing data science and artificial intelligence to create new operational efficiencies that benefit their host communities.
TSI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz power business unit Aboitiz Power Corp., is the project company of the 300-MW baseload power plant in Toril, Davao City and Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.
TSI uses data science, specifically an automated “control loop system,” to feed regulated amounts of limestone to its furnace in order to help significantly reduce sulfur oxide emissions.
For TSI, adding the precise amount of limestone to the combustion process is essential. Too little limestone and the power plant’s emissions spike; too much limestone and the power plant’s waste ash chemically changes into hazardous waste. Data science plays a crucial role in determining the right amount of limestone usage for optimum results.
Republic Cement has teamed up with Aboitiz banking and financial services unit UnionBank to create an artificial intelligence tool that predicts cement quality based on historical chemical concentration combinations.
With this data, Republic Cement is able to optimize concentrations of raw materials, including limestone, resulting in better resource management and increased operational efficiency.
This is especially important for Republic Cement’s main product: Portland cement, a complex product obtained from unprocessed natural limestone and clay. The Philippine government and cement industry have set minimum standards for cement quality due to the product’s sensitivity to minimal changes in chemical concentrations.
