What could an Indonesian CCS hub look like?

Key takeaways:

Indonesia is evaluating a major potential carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub.
The hub could store approximately 3 metric gigatons of CO₂.
Indonesia is working with Singapore to develop a potential CCS value chain in Asia Pacific.

News

2 min read

• May 13, 2024

Indonesia is utilizing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, local skills, and its history of energy production to help the Asia Pacific region reduce emissions.

Earlier this year, Indonesia’s government took a leap forward and issued a presidential regulation allowing CCS operators to set aside part of their storage capacity for the region’s CO₂. In addition, this year, the governments of Singapore and Indonesia have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to collaborate on cross-border CCS.

We are working with Indonesian state-owned company Pertamina to advance a joint evaluation of a potential CCS hub.

The potential Indonesian CCS project is located underneath the Java Sea and could hold approximately three metric gigatons of CO₂, which could make it the largest storage site in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia is helping push Asia Pacific toward a lower-carbon future, as it makes moves towards becoming a hub for domestic and regional carbon capture and storage.

Here’s how we capture and store CO₂

Depth

The aim of CCS is to store captured carbon in a deep, secure location where it can permanently stay.
Depths start at more than 800 metres – equivalent to six Monas stacked on top of one another – to 1.2 kilometres underground.

Seal

Captured CO₂ can be held in place underground by thick rocks, acting like a lid over the CO₂, helping to seal it away permanently. These are the same rocks that kept oil and gas underground for millions of years.

Pressure

The CO₂ will be pressurised 300 to 500 times so that it can be stored in a relatively small area.

Location

Location is key in CCS. Choosing a safe, geologically sound site that can ensure permanent storage helps to eliminate the risk of CO₂ escaping.

Time

Just like diamonds, centuries of pressure from being trapped underground transforms the CO₂. After hundreds of years trapped in place it will begin to mineralise and becomes locked under the surface permanently. Over tens of thousands of years, it can turn completely from a gas into a solid. The longer CO₂ stays underground, the safer it becomes.

Integrity

It’s not just about storing it safely underground; we also ensure the right technology is in place to monitor these sites at different levels –reduce the possibility of leaks.