TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry is teaming up with state-owned defense contractor PT Pindad to manufacture compact 3-kilogram (kg) compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders, ESDM Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced.
ESDM Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced the partnership following the opening of the Global Hydrogen Ecosystem Summit & Exhibition 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday, noting that local production will ramp up once prototype testing in China is finalized.
"We will collaborate with Pindad later. Once (the trials in China) are completed there, we will take further action," Bahlil said.
Separately, the ministry’s Director General of Oil and Gas Laode Sulaeman confirmed that prototype samples of the 3-kg CNG cylinders are expected to complete testing in China by the end of July.
They will then be shipped to Indonesia’s Oil and Gas Testing Center (Lemigas) for local safety certification.
Following the certification process, the government plans to introduce the 3-kg CNG canisters to the public through regional pilot projects.
"The trials will be in major cities first, perhaps West Java," Laode stated, adding that public trial schemes are currently being finalized to begin next month with a focus on safety standards.
While CNG is already utilized across commercial hospitality sectors and government initiatives like the Free Nutritional Meal (MBG) program, deployment has historically been confined to massive 10- to 20-kilogram canisters.
Minister Bahlil noted that scaling the canisters down to a 3-kg format presents technical challenges due to pressure constraints. CNG operates at pressures between 200 and 250 bar, compared to standard 3-kg liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders which hold around 5 to 10 bar.
Despite the technical hurdles, the minister emphasized that trials will continue as part of government efforts to reduce national dependence on imported LPG.
Read: Indonesian Defense Company Pindad Prepares 'Glass Car' for Prabowo
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