Sembcorp, Indonesian Utilities Eye Cross-Border Hydrogen Pipeline to Singapore

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 15, Sembcorp has set its eyes on constructing a hydrogen pipeline between Indonesia and Singapore, inking a joint development framework agreement (JDFA) with local gas transporters.

Signed with Persero sub-holding PT PLN Energi Primer Indonesia (PT PLN EPI) and PT Transportasi Gas Indonesia (PT TGU), the agreement aims to explore establishing a hydrogen pipeline connecting Sumatra in Indonesia’s Riau Islands and Singapore.

Slated to advance both Singapore’s and Indonesia’s hydrogen plans, the JDFA comes after Sembcop and PT PLN EPI partnered to develop Southeast Asia’s “largest” green hydrogen plant in Sumatra.

Expected to boast a 100,000-tonne annual capacity, the facility is planned to use local renewable energy to power electrolysis, with hydrogen exported via a subsea pipeline.

Combined with the JDFA for the pipeline, Sembcorp has said the initiatives will “drive Southeast Asia’s most significant hydrogen development efforts.”

Singapore also has ambitions to see low-carbon hydrogen meet half of its 2050 power needs.

However, despite the potential appetite for the energy carrier, the nation’s production capacity could be limited due to space and lack of renewables, prompting the need for imports.

Petronas-owned Gentari is also firming up plans to import hydrogen into Singapore. In October, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Senoko Gas to import Malaysia-produced hydrogen into the country for use in gas power plants.

Gentari and Sembcorp also signed an MoU last July to explore hydrogen initiatives in Southeast Asia.