(Photo: Indonesia Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources)
Indonesia’s state electricity company, PLN, has inaugurated the country’s first hydrogen refueling station (HRS) in Senayan, Jakarta, providing hydrogen for vehicles. In addition to reducing the carbon emissions form transportation and helping the country to achieve its net-zero goals, this move also signifies an expansion of the clean energy market.
The General Director of Electricity, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jisman Hutajulu, stated during the inauguration ceremony that “hydrogen plays an important role in the energy transition, especially in the transportation sector, hydrogen-based vehicles produce no emissions. The development of hydrogen demonstrates Indonesia’s commitment in expanding clean energy.”
Indonesia, with the largest population in Southeast Asia, faces a significant annual carbon footprint, with the transportation sector accounting for 44% of the total emissions.
Darmawan Prasodjo, the President Director of PLN, stated that green transportation technology is advancing rapidly, including the electric and hydrogen-based vehicles. Therefore, he expects his company to remain innovative and become a pioneer in the green transformation of the transportation industry.
Based on PLN’s calculation of hydrogen price at 2.3 Indonesian Rupiah per kilogram, the cost of driving a hydrogen vehicle for 1 kilometer is about IDR 270 (about 0.017 USD), while an electric vehicle requires IDR 350-400 (about 0.02-0.03 USD), and a gasoline vehicle would cost IDR 1,300 (about 0.08 USD). This shows that hydrogen -powered vehicles are competitive in the market.
Currently, PLN has 21 Green Hydrogen Plants (GHP) across Indonesia. Additionally, a plant is under construction in the Kamojang area of West Java. The total annual capacity of these plants can reach 203 tons, with approximately 128 tons available for hydrogen vehicles after deducting the plant’s operational needs.
