KSP: Government Encourages Hydrogen To Be An Energy Source

JAKARTA - The Main Expert Staff of the Presidential Staff Office, Hageng Suryo Nugroho, said that the government through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) is pushing hydrogen to become a potential energy carrier in accelerating the energy transition in Indonesia.

According to him, the role of hydrogen as an energy source will be increasingly crucial in the future. Both in the energy generation sector, transportation, and sustainable aviation systems.

“In today's era, hydrogen is not only an energy asset, but must also be viewed as an economic commodity of the future. For this reason, the government encourages hydrogen as a commodity that has a potential selling value," said Hageng when he was a speaker at a workshop entitled "Towards Hydrogen Economy: Lessons from the Netherlands", which is an implementation of the INTPF (Indonesia-Netherlands Technology Partnership Forum) program. ), Tuesday, November 1st.

For information, the workshop was held as a medium to comprehensively study the hydrogen ecosystem in the Netherlands, as well as opportunities for its implementation in Indonesia. Starting from the policy and strategy side, industrial-scale implementation, to academic research support.

The Netherlands, with hydrogen production of up to 9 million m3/year, is the second largest hydrogen producer in the world. Thus, the synergy and close collaboration with the Netherlands has the potential to help Indonesia in accelerating the development of the hydrogen ecosystem.

On that occasion, Hageng conveyed that the use and development of hydrogen as a new renewable energy source is one of the government's main strategies in carrying out a roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2060.

To achieve that, he explained, efforts are needed to fulfill adequate and reliable new energy sources, which can provide an extraordinary multiplier effect to support industrial competitiveness, promote international trade and attract investment.

Hageng said that hydrogen would be a game changer to replace fossil sources. Because hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used to store, transfer, and distribute energy produced from other sources.

In addition, consideration of the development of hydrogen, namely the low cost of production in the future. Where in 2030, the cost of producing green hydrogen is estimated at 1 – 2.5 US Dollars per kilogram, and will continue to fall to three times in 2050.

"So that hydrogen as a fuel will be more economical and popular in the future," he explained.

Hageng also emphasized that Indonesia is currently developing a simulation of a long-term strategy towards Net Zero Emission by 2060 and the energy sector's contribution to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of 314 million tons of CO2e. (NA).

"To make this happen, President Jokowi also emphasizes the importance of continuing to build global collaboration for carbon emission reduction," concluded Hageng.