Indonesia is moving closer to developing its first landfill gas to hydrogen project, with a feasibility study concluding that the proposed pilot at the Sarimukti landfill in West Java could serve as a foundation for broader low carbon hydrogen deployment if key regulatory, commercial, and technical barriers are addressed.
The initiative reflects growing interest in using waste derived methane as a feedstock for hydrogen production while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions from landfill operations.
The project is being developed under the Sustainable Biohydrogen Production and Application in Indonesia program, led by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Indonesia in partnership with the Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) within the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The program is funded by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea.
The final focus group discussion on the feasibility study brought together representatives from government agencies, industry, academia, and development organizations to evaluate whether the project can progress from technical assessment toward a bankable investment. Rather than simply validating the project’s technical potential, participants focused on identifying the institutional and commercial conditions required to support implementation.
The proposed pilot seeks to capture landfill gas generated through the decomposition of municipal waste and convert it into low carbon hydrogen. If developed, the Sarimukti facility is expected to produce up to one metric ton of hydrogen per day while mitigating approximately 58,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions annually through reduced methane releases and cleaner hydrogen production.
The opportunity extends well beyond a single project. Indonesia operates more than 500 landfill sites, many of which continuously emit methane, a greenhouse gas with a significantly higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period. Converting landfill gas into hydrogen could therefore address two policy objectives simultaneously by reducing emissions from waste management while creating a domestic source of low carbon hydrogen for industrial and transport applications.
However, the feasibility study also identified several challenges that must be resolved before commercialization becomes viable. One of the most significant is ensuring a reliable long term supply of landfill gas. Because hydrogen production depends on consistent methane availability, future waste allocation policies and landfill development plans will directly influence project economics and operational reliability.
Institutional coordination presents another obstacle. Responsibility for waste management, hydrogen development, environmental regulation, and energy policy is currently divided among multiple ministries and government agencies. Participants identified the creation of a coordinated regulatory framework as a near term priority to support an integrated waste to hydrogen value chain.
Developing sufficient hydrogen demand also remains essential. While Indonesia has identified hydrogen as a strategic component of its long term energy transition, large scale commercial consumption remains limited. The feasibility assessment highlighted the need for stronger demand side measures across industries including fertilizer production, heavy industry, and transportation to establish reliable offtake agreements capable of supporting investment.
The project’s social dimension also received significant attention. Sarimukti supports an informal community of waste pickers whose livelihoods depend on landfill operations. Stakeholders emphasized that any commercial development must include clearly defined and adequately funded social safeguard measures to protect local employment and community interests while ensuring broader public acceptance of the project.
The Sarimukti initiative therefore represents more than a single demonstration facility. It serves as a test case for whether Indonesia can establish the technical, regulatory, financial, and social foundations required to scale waste based hydrogen production nationally. Lessons from the pilot could inform future projects across hundreds of landfill sites, potentially creating a new pathway for methane utilization while supporting the country’s broader decarbonization and circular economy objectives.
