REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- PT PLN (Persero) confirms its commitment to accelerate the development of hydrogen as a sustainability solution. Hydrogen is one of the alternative energy sources in supporting the energy transition in Indonesia.
Coordinator of Service and Supervision of Various New Renewable Energies of the Ministry of ESDM, Muhamad Alhaqurahman Isa explained that one of the challenges of energy equalization in Indonesia is infrastructure interconnection. Hydrogen could be the solution in reaching energy needs in the far corners.
“As an island nation, Indonesia has challenges in infrastructure transmission and a mismatch between energy supply and demand. With the high potential of renewable new energy in low-demand areas, hydrogen can be a solution for storing and distributing energy to areas in need,” Isa explained at the panel discussion titled 'Catalyzing Hydrogen Solutions for a Sustainable World' at the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (IISF) 2024, Thursday (5/9/2024).
Isa also highlighted the three roles hydrogen will play in the future, namely, supporting the development of renewable energy, achieving decarbonisation targets, and playing a role in export markets.
“Currently, Indonesia utilizes about 1.75 million tons of hydrogen per year, mainly in industrial sectors such as fertilizers, oil, and gas. By 2060, we expect hydrogen utilisation to increase to around 9.9 million tonnes per year, with the power generation sector as the largest user,” he added.
PLN President Director, Darmawan Prasodjo, also emphasized PLN's role in the energy transition. In addition to decarbonization in the electricity sector, PLN also continues to develop environmentally friendly alternative energies, one of them through the development of hydrogen.
“PLN is committed to being a catalyst in achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2060. We have managed to save 3.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions through innovation and transformation efforts. In the future, PLN will continue to develop clean energy where hydrogen is one of the alternatives,” Darmawan said.
Darmawan added that in developing new technologies such as hydrogen, PLN continues to collaborate with various parties, including through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hidrogene De France (HDF) Energy to explore the development of the hydrogen ecosystem in the framework of the preparation of PLN's strategy roadmap in Indonesia at the IISF 2024 forum.
“Today, PLN not only provides reliable electricity but is also committed to being a pioneer in the use of renewable and sustainable energy. Climate change is a global problem that must be tackled together. For this reason, PLN cannot run everything in an atmosphere of solitude, the only way to face such challenges is through collaboration,” Darmawan said.
The cooperation between PLN and HDF Energy aims to support a sustainable energy transition in Indonesia, where hydrogen is projected to be one of the alternative energies. Through this cooperation, PLN will develop a power plant that combines renewable energy sources with energy storage in the form of hydrogen.
PLN's Director of Corporate Planning and Business Development, Hartanto Wibowo, said renewable hydrogen is expected to dominate two-thirds of global demand by 2050. With abundant renewable energy resources, Indonesia can become a leader in the hydrogen economy.
“PLN is spearheading a role in hydrogen development, driving strategic initiatives to accelerate the use of hydrogen in the energy transition. We have built green hydrogen plants (GHP) at 22 generating sites, one of which is the first GHP in Southeast Asia to use geothermal energy,” Hartanto said.
Meanwhile, Mathieu Geze, Director of HDF Energy for Asia and President Director of PT HDF Energy Indonesia, appreciated PLN's step in developing alternative energy in the form of hydrogen realized through cooperation with his side.
“We are very pleased to strengthen our commitment to a zero-emission future through this MoU. This collaboration will put Indonesia at the forefront of green hydrogen projects in the Asia-Pacific region. HDF Energy continues to be steadfast in its commitment to corporate responsibility, environmental stewardship, and a sustainable future,” said Mathieu.
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