PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy with France-based Genvia will be exploring for potential green hydrogen production in Indonesia using geothermal resources.
PT Pertamina Power Indonesia (“Pertamina NRE”), PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy Tbk (“PGE”), and Genvia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in developing green hydrogen production through the integration of advanced solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEL) technology with geothermal heat sources. The signing took place during the Indonesia – France Business Forum on September 26, 2024.
The agreement includes a technical and economic study of the use of Genvia’s advanced high-temperature SOEL technology to reduce energy consumption in green hydrogen production. The study will be conducted at one of PGE’s geothermal sites.
Genvia is a France-based public-private joint venture focusing on green hydrogen technology as a means to address the decarbonization challenge by accelerating large-scale deployment of affordable green hydrogen production. A central part of the company’s mission is the development of the world’s most efficient Solid Oxide Electrolyzer solution that is cost-effective, reliable and sustainable.
“Through our collaboration with Pertamina NRE and PGE, we see great potential in combining Genvia’s advanced technology with Indonesia’s abundant geothermal resources to drive a sustainable energy future. By exploring the potential of high-temperature SOEL technology, we aim to unlock new efficiencies in green hydrogen production,” said Florence Lambert, CEO of Genvia.
PGE, the geothermal subsidiary of Pertamina NRE, will provide the geothermal source for the study. The collaboration leverages PGE’s geothermal expertise and Pertamina NRE’s broader clean energy portfolio, which includes renewables, green hydrogen, battery storage, electric vehicles, and carbon businesses.
“We at Pertamina NRE are very enthusiastic about the collaboration with Genvia, which we believe will significantly accelerate the development of green hydrogen in Indonesia. This collaboration underlines our commitment to explore innovative solutions to achieve more cost-effective hydrogen production and maximize Indonesia’s green energy potential, such as geothermal. We believe that this will bring many benefits to Indonesia, including reducing carbon emissions,” said John Anis, CEO of Pertamina NRE.
The first geothermal-based green hydrogen production facility in Indonesia (and in Southeast Asia) was opened earlier this year at the Kamojang geothermal power plant in West Java. The facility has an output of 4.3 tons per year, or roughly equivalent to the fuel requirement of 438 cars covering 100 kilometers of distance per day.
In supporting this collaboration, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to France, Andorra, Monaco, and UNESCO, Mohamad Oemar, expressed his optimism towards this collaboration, “We hope that this collaboration can accelerate Indonesia’s achievement towards zero emissions,” he said.
Vice President of Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso said, the development of hydrogen production is one of Pertamina’s energy transition initiatives that supports the green business program.
“Clean hydrogen is one of Pertamina’s future businesses. This collaboration will accelerate the target of achieving new renewable energy in Indonesia,” said Fadjar.
Pertamina as a leading company in the energy transition sector, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuing to encourage programs that have a direct impact on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All of these efforts are in line with the implementation of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) across all of Pertamina’s business lines and operations.