As part of its global commitment to climate change mitigation, Indonesia has set a target to achieve Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2060 or earlier. Achieving this target requires significant efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly from key sectors such as energy, industry, and land use.

To support this goal, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the formulation of a National Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Roadmap on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Auditorium of the Geological Museum, Bandung.

The event brought together various stakeholders and experts, including Dr. Mohammad Rachmat Sule, a senior lecturer at the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) and Center Manager of the Center of Excellence for CCS and CCUS ITB. In his presentation, Dr. Sule emphasized the critical role of CCS/CCUS in achieving Indonesia’s emission reduction targets.

“The Center of Excellence for CCS and CCUS ITB was established by the Directorate General of Oil and Gas, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, to support the government and the private sector in implementing decarbonization programs within their respective institutions, including through CCS and CCUS. Based on more than 30 preliminary studies, a pattern has emerged showing that CCS and CCUS can be implemented in Indonesia if CO2 emissions are already available at very high purity, eliminating the need for capture costs. At present, CO2 from certain oil and gas industries and the ammonia industry meets these criteria, making these two sectors the most immediate candidates for CCS/CCUS implementation in Indonesia,” stated Dr. M. Rachmat Sule.

The FGD served as a platform to gather strategic input from various sectors on the development of a National CCS/CCUS Roadmap, not only focusing on technical and investment aspects but also highlighting fundamental principles of sovereign, safe, and sustainable carbon management.

Key topics discussed in the FGD included:

• Stages of CCS/CCUS development and implementation in Indonesia
• Identification of priority regions and sectors
• Regulatory frameworks and governance structures
• Financing mechanisms and business models
• Infrastructure and human resource readiness
• Monitoring systems, risk mitigation, and environmental protection

In his presentation on July 18, 2025, Dr. Sule also addressed the issue of CO2 hubs, which has recently become a widely discussed topic. “Studies have shown that it would be very difficult for domestic industries to carry out CCS/CCUS independently due to the very high costs. However, if foreign parties are willing to inject CO2 into Indonesia, the costs of CCS/CCUS could be reduced through facility sharing. Based on joint studies conducted between ITB and Carbon Limits (Norway), the establishment of a CO2 hub could reduce CCS/CCUS costs by USD 3 to USD 27 per ton of CO2,” explained Dr. Sule.

This discussion aimed to build multi-sectoral consensus on the direction of CCS/CCUS development in Indonesia, as well as the country’s strategic position in contributing to the global carbon storage agenda, while maintaining national interests and environmental integrity.