Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, emphasized the importance of developing and utilizing hydrogen as an alternative fuel source to bolster national economic development. “Hydrogen can play a vital role in promoting carbon neutrality and economic growth,” said Airlangga Hartarto in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday. He commended Hyundai Motor Group's efforts in implementing hydrogen fuel network solutions in Indonesia through the Waste-to-Hydrogen program and the utilization of local community waste. According to him, these efforts aim to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly energy for vehicles. Airlangga also highlighted the government's support for expanding the use of solar and geothermal energy, developing low-carbon technologies, and improving energy efficiency to hasten the clean energy transition. “This will benefit not only Indonesia but also the ASEAN market in the long term,” he noted.
During his visit to South Korea starting Monday, 20 May, Airlangga held meetings with South Korean business leaders to discuss cooperation opportunities in the automotive, electronics, semiconductor, and hydrogen fuel development sectors in Indonesia. He met with Hyundai Motor Group CEO Chung Eui-sun, LOTTE Chemical President & CEO Lee Hun Ki, and LG CNS CEO Shingyoon Hyun. Economic cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea has strengthened post-pandemic. According to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the total bilateral trade value between Indonesia and South Korea reached USD 20.8 billion in 2023. South Korea also ranked as the seventh largest investor in Indonesia last year, with total foreign direct investment (FDI) amounting to approximately USD 2.5 billion, an 8.7% increase from 2022. Investments from various South Korean companies in Indonesia's manufacturing sector include the development of Hyundai's car factory, the construction of a petrochemical plant by Lotte Chemical, and the establishment of a 10 million ton capacity steel industrial cluster.
