HDF Energy, Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, PLN, and ASDP have join forces to decarbonise the maritime sector with hydrogen solutions in Indonesia.
In a significant step towards supporting Indonesia’s energy transition goals, PT HDF Energy Indonesia – a subsidiary of HDF Energy – has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Transportation (MoT), state-owned electric utility PT PLN (Persero), and ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero). The agreement outlines a joint study to decarbonise Indonesia’s maritime sector using locally produced green hydrogen. The study will be conducted in collaboration with, and co-funded by, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The MoU was signed during the Global Hydrogen Ecosystem Summit on 15 April 2025 in Indonesia, and was witnessed by H.E. Fabien Penone, Ambassador of France to Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The study will focus on Eastern Indonesia, a region with plenty of sun and home to many of ASDP’s strategic ferry routes. HDF Energy is currently developing 23 Renewstable® hydrogen power plants in the region. These facilities combine a solar park with substantial on-site energy storage in the form of green hydrogen to provide non-intermittent, stable, and 100% clean electricity to the grid, day and night.
By generating surplus green hydrogen at a competitive marginal cost, Renewstable plants also pave the way for the supply of green hydrogen to decarbonise maritime transport. The hydrogen produced will be used to power the high-power fuel cells developed and manufactured by HDF Energy in France, a modular, reliable solution tailored to the conversion of maritime fleets. With this project, HDF Energy is deploying an integrated approach: producing competitive green hydrogen locally and offering a zero emission maritime vessels’ propulsion solution based on its fuel cells.
ASDP plays a critical role in connecting Indonesia’s remote islands. As a key player in the maritime sector's energy transition, the company will contribute to the study to identify opportunities for converting its fleet and port infrastructures. The aim is to replace traditional diesel engines with solutions based on green hydrogen and renewable electricity, in order to significantly reduce emissions.
PLN has already taken a proactive role in launching hydrogen pilot projects across the country. The company previously signed an MoU with HDF Energy to accelerate the deployment of Renewstable hydrogen power plants as a green alternative to diesel-based power – a collaboration representing potential investments of up to US$2.3 billion, supported by international development institutions including the US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC).
On the same occasion, HDF also signed an MoU with PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna (PT BAg), a national shipping company specialising in sea transportation services for primary energy distribution across Indonesia. The partnership reflects a joint commitment to assessing hydrogen as a clean alternative to power auxiliary systems on large vessels.
Mathieu Geze, HDF Energy’s Director for APAC and President Director of PT HDF Energy Indonesia, stated: “We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to a net zero emission future through this strategic collaboration. Working together with PLN, ASDP, the MoT, and with PT Bag, we aim to place Indonesia at the forefront of green hydrogen innovation in the Asia-Pacific. Our fuel cells represent a step forward in the decarbonisation of maritime transport in the Indonesian archipelago.”
On a regional scale, this partnership in Indonesia is part of HDF Energy's development drive in Southeast Asia. On 11 April 2025, in the Philippines, HDF signed a MoU with the Department of Transportation to harness green hydrogen – produced by HDF’s Renewstable power plants currently under development – to power the next generation of hydrogen-fuelled maritime vessels. The following day in Vietnam, HDF entered into a strategic partnership with ACST, an organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Construction, to advance green hydrogen solutions, including the retrofitting of diesel ferries with HDF’s hydrogen fuel cells.