After inaugurating 21 Green Hydrogen Plants on November 20 2023 in several locations in Indonesia, the State Electricity Company (PLN) stated that the production of green hydrogen or Green Hydrogen Plants would be projected as an environmentally friendly alternative fuel in the future.

Quoted from the Antara news agency, a commercial comparison between hydrogen, batteries (electric vehicles) and gasoline, hydrogen is the most economical fuel.

“There are already many hydrogen vehicles abroad and in Indonesia we have to start. So, where do we start? From here the supply or ecosystem is built from upstream, there is a Green Hydrogen Plant, then later on the downstream side a hydrogen pump or Hydrogen pump will be built Refueling Station (HRS),” explained Subawa Putra, General Manager of PT PLN Indonesia Power (IP) Priok Power Generation Unit (PGU) in Jakarta, on Thursday (7/12/2023).

Workers check cylinders containing hydrogen at the Tanjung Priok Steam Gas Power Plant (PLTGU), North Jakarta, Monday (20/11/2023). The production of 199 tons of hydrogen per year from PLN will be used as renewable energy for electric cars [ANTARA FOTO/M Risyal Hidayat]. “EV (electric vehicle) is around IDR 370 per kilometer and petrol cars IDR 1,600 per kilometer,” explained Subawa Putra.

From commercial calculations and looking at the potential of green hydrogen, the Green Hydrogent Plant is a promising energy in the future.

“I think in the future, this is a form of energy that is quite promising. Hopefully the government will also issue a policy to encourage the development of this Green Hydrogen Plant for transportation and for the generation side,” he continued.

For this reason, in the near future the party will immediately build a hydrogen station for transportation needs in Senayan, Jakarta.

“In the near future, maybe in one to two months it will be inaugurated. This will be the forerunner to the use of hydrogen for transportation needs,” said Subawa Putra.

PLN Indonesia Power confirms its commitment to the energy transition [PLN] And the non-fuel car manufacturers themselves are currently waiting for the presence of a hydrogen station from PLN so they can produce hydrogen cars in Indonesia.

“Car manufacturers are waiting for this hydrogen pump. Once this exists, they will start producing hydrogen cars in Indonesia,” he explained.

With a hydrogen-fueled transportation ecosystem, Subawa Putra said the government’s target of achieving emissions by 2060 could be realized.

“So that we can slowly achieve the energy transition in Indonesia in accordance with the road map that has been announced by the government 2060 net zero emissions,” said Subawa Putra.

For the record, hydrogen cell powered cars are part of a large family of non-fuel or non-fossil or non-petroleum powered vehicles. Apart from electric cells or electric batteries, hydrogen cell batteries have been popularized. Some examples of the use of hydrogen cells are commercial trucks in Europe, and for passenger cars the Toyota Mirai.

The Toyota Mirai Cara is an electric vehicle that relies on hydrogen fuel from the pump. An electric motor produces 182 hp, and a direct drive transmission sends power to the rear wheels.