Pertamina and ExxonMobil have agreed that their CCS hub evaluation partnership will be sustained and will be re-located with a renewed focus on the western area within the Java Sea. The project’s specific focus will be directed to Asri and Sunda Basin.

The decision to continue this partnership has been agreed on, due to the benefits this collaboration will bring to both companies and to the environment as a whole. The President Director of Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati, spoke about the company’s continued interest in exploring, generating and developing decarbonisation strategies and programs. These programs include the development of the CCS hub, which has been built with the necessary help of ExxonMobil, who have aided the project through their unique expertise, making them a strategic company for Pertamina to collaborate with.

Furthermore, Pertamina has shown so much interest in this project due to the huge amount of storing, capturing and injecting potential this area has to offer the carbon industry, in both the domestic and regional sectors and industries. Through the development of this hub within the Java region, with its proximity to various industries, this project clearly has the potential to store Co2 in very strategic areas. These storage opportunities will be provided through easy access to geological saline aquifers, made available through the newly chosen location. These aquifers have the capability of storing three gigatons of Co2, which would be sourced from domestic and regional carbon-intensive industries. There would also be potential for the aquifers to store more than three gigatons of carbon dioxide.

Nicke Widyawati, commented, "This project will enable Indonesia to become a regional leader in industrial decarbonization due to its enormous carbon storage potential. Hopefully, Indonesia can become the CCS center in Southeast Asia in the future.”

Interim Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, Erick Thohir, mentioned, "The agreement signed today marks a significant step in Indonesia's journey as a leader in emissions reduction. The cutting-edge technology behind the CCS Hub will not only reduce emissions and promote low-carbon industries, but also create jobs and attract investment."

Once the MoU was signed, the Deputy of Maritime and Energy Sovereignty Coordination, Jodi Mahardi, added, "The signed document is an essential part of the lengthy process the Indonesian government has undertaken to build the CCS ecosystem. With this agreement, it is evident that all components in Indonesia, especially from the government's perspective, are ready to harness Indonesia's CCS potential for the low-carbon industries advancement, increased investment, and creating new job opportunities for the Indonesian people."