Indonesia's Government Encourages the Optimization of Hydrogen Utilization

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Vice Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Yuliot, officially launched the Global Hydrogen Ecosystem Summit (GHES) 2026 on Tuesday, 10 February 2026. Yuliot emphasized that hydrogen plays a strategic role as one of the drivers of the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, as hydrogen is a carrier of zero-carbon energy beside electricity.

The Indonesian government remains committed to climate change mitigation efforts. In the long term, Indonesia aims to gradually reduce the share of fossil fuel utilization as part of achieving Net Zero Emission by 2060 or sooner. One of the efforts is to establish hydrogen and ammonia as New Energy Sources," said Yuliot.

According to Yuliot, the utilization of hydrogen domestically is currently present in the industrial sector, especially as a raw material for fertilizers. "Hydrogen consumption in Indonesia currently stands at around 1.75 million tons per year, with utilization dominated by urea (88%), ammonia (4%), and oil refineries (2%)," he stated.

He added that for the purpose of decarbonization, hydrogen can be utilized in hard-to-abate sectors such as long-distance transportation, shipping, aviation, steel production, and heating in industry and manufacturing.

Yuliot also believes that Indonesia has a great opportunity to develop hydrogen and ammonia as an integral part of the national energy transition agenda while supporting the decarbonization of the global energy system. This aligns with the directive of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, to accelerate the massive utilization of new and renewable energy.

"These opportunities are supported by strong foundational capital, including the abundant availability of new and renewable energy (EBT) potential, Indonesia's commitment to global climate change mitigation, and Indonesia's geographical position as an archipelagic country located on the main route of international trade." With these advantages, Indonesia has the potential to become a hydrogen and ammonia hub in the Asia-Pacific region," Yuliot stated.

Meanwhile, regarding efforts to utilize hydrogen, the Director General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE), Eniya Listiani Dewi, explained that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has developed a National Hydrogen Roadmap based on an action plan that aligns with the plans and commitments of the industry.

"And in the year 2026, regarding the achievement of green hydrogen that we hope will increase in line with our national energy plan. So, we expect the addition of green hydrogen scheduled for 2026 to reach more than 199 tons per year," Eniya conveyed.

The launch of GHES 2026 is expected to strengthen coordination between the government, industry, and other stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen and accelerate the energy transition in Indonesia.