In a groundbreaking achievement, Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company, PLN (Perusahaan Listrik Negara), has inaugurated the country’s first Green Hydrogen Plant (GHP). Located at the Muara Karang Gas Power Plant (PLTGU) in Jakarta, the GHP has the capacity to produce 51 tons of green hydrogen annually.
Yudo Dwinanda Priaadi, Director General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), hailed the establishment of the GHP as a significant initiative to support the development of clean energy in Indonesia. He made this announcement during the official inauguration of the GHP in Jakarta today.
“PLN has found the fastest way to produce green hydrogen. Initially, we thought that producing green hydrogen would take a long time, using geothermal energy or solar panels. However, PLN’s innovation has accelerated green hydrogen production in Indonesia,” Yudo stated on October 9, 2023.
He further explained that green hydrogen represents a game-changer in the energy transition challenge. In the future, the use of green hydrogen as an alternative fuel will be essential for many industries.
This year, the government, through the Ministry of ESDM, is finalizing the national hydrogen roadmap. PLN’s swift progress in establishing the first GHP serves as concrete evidence of and support for the national hydrogen strategy.
“This year, we are finalizing our national hydrogen strategy. Hopefully, we can release it soon. Fortunately, PLN has already taken the lead in implementing this strategy. There is already tangible evidence before the strategy document is released,” Yudo added.
Meanwhile, Darmawan Prasodjo, President Director of PLN, explained that the inauguration of Indonesia’s first GHP is a result of PLN’s commitment to supporting the government’s energy transition efforts. In the future, green hydrogen will serve as an alternative energy source.
“Today is proof that we walk the talk, that we have transformed this commitment into tangible action. Going forward, we will expand the existing GHP to our power plants, especially similar ones, to increase production,” Darmawan stated.
Darmawan added that the GHP developed by PLN Nusantara Power (NP) is the outcome of PLN’s innovation in addressing the energy transition challenge by maximizing existing assets. Continuous innovation will be undertaken to create added value for the country and the company.
“We see the potential of hydrogen plants that can produce green hydrogen, which can provide added value and future business development prospects,” he said.
On the other hand, Ruly Firmansyah, President Director of PLN NP, detailed that their corporation had been producing grey hydrogen from an operational hydrogen plant. However, with the use of solar PV (photovoltaic) technology, supported by Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), PLN NP has now achieved the first GHP in Indonesia.
Utilizing multiple electrolyzers with an energy consumption of 2,795 Megawatt Hours (MWh) per year, PLN NP can produce 100% green hydrogen amounting to 51 tons per year.
Through this effort, PLN NP is capable of generating alternative raw materials for industries moving toward green practices. In the future, PLN NP also plans to develop green hydrogen storage facilities to store this green hydrogen for later use.
“By harnessing the installed Solar PV system at the Muara Karang Gas Power Plant, we have transformed this hydrogen into green, free from CO2 emissions. Therefore, this green hydrogen is 100% sourced from renewable energy,” Ruly concluded.
