Ecobiz.asia — French renewable energy developer HDF Energy, Germany’s GIZ, and Neuman & Esser South East Asia (NEA SEA) have signed an agreement to develop green hydrogen infrastructure for inter-island ferries in Indonesia, part of the country’s push to decarbonize its maritime transport sector.
The cooperation, signed during the Indonesia Sustainability Forum 2025 in Jakarta, Friday (Oct 10, 2025) is part of GIZ’s International Hydrogen Ramp-Up Programme (H2Uppp). The initiative will study the feasibility of building a hydrogen supply chain—from production to bunkering—for ferry routes such as Kupang–Rote in eastern Indonesia.
“This partnership will pave the way for Indonesia’s first hydrogen-powered ferry route by combining HDF Energy’s expertise with strong institutional and industrial support,” said Mathieu Géze, HDF Energy’s Director for Asia-Pacific.
The project follows an April memorandum of understanding between HDF Energy, Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, state utility PLN, and ferry operator ASDP Indonesia Ferry under the International Maritime Organization’s GreenVoyage2050 program.
HDF Energy said the hydrogen infrastructure study would also examine integration with island power grids and port systems to replace diesel fuel and enhance local energy resilience.
“Indonesia’s maritime geography provides a unique opportunity to scale hydrogen solutions,” said Lisa Tinschert, Director of GIZ’s Energy Programme for Indonesia and ASEAN. “Through H2Uppp, we aim to strengthen local entrepreneurship and project development, contributing to economic growth and technology transfer.”
The initiative supports Indonesia’s Net Zero Emission Roadmap for the Energy Sector and National Hydrogen Roadmap. HDF Energy is also developing 23 Renewstable® hybrid hydrogen power plants across eastern Indonesia, representing a total investment of around USD 2.3 billion, designed to provide 100% renewable electricity and hydrogen for maritime uses. ***
