Indonesia’s Pertamina starts geothermal green hydrogen pilot

Asian country has announced plans to invest more than $25bn in green hydrogen.

Indonesia’s state-backed Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) has begun building a pilot plant to produce green hydrogen at its Ulubelu site in Sumatra. The facility, designed to generate around 100 kilograms a day, will use anion exchange membrane electrolysis with reported efficiencies of 82–88%. PGE has not disclosed the electrolyser supplier or a commissioning date.

The project is part of the company’s effort to expand beyond electricity sales by turning geothermal power into fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. PGE president director Julfi Hadi said Ulubelu could become an innovation hub for replication in other regions and help support low-carbon transport and industry.

Indonesia aims for net zero by 2060 and has announced plans to invest more than $25bn in green hydrogen. Analysts say geothermal could offer the country an advantage, but large-scale deployment remains uncertain. Pertamina executives have described the Ulubelu initiative as an “important contribution” to national climate targets, though questions remain over its timing and scale.