Publications | Indonesian Petroleum Association

Navigating the Carbon Maze: How Small Midstream LNG Projects like Donggi Senoro Can Win the GHG Reduction Challenge

Year: 2025 Authors: Lestari, D., F., Lathifah, N., Khaqim, A.

Keywords: Benchmarking, Carbon intensity, DSLNG, Decarbonization roadmap, GHG emissions, LNG, Life Cycle Assessment, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, indonesia,

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Proceedings Title : Proc. Indon. Petrol. Assoc., 49th Ann. Conv., 2025

The transition towards a low-carbon economy has led to heightened pressure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining operational efficiency and economic viability. As a standalone midstream LNG facility, Donggi-Senoro LNG (DSLNG) offers a distinctive case study in emissions management and decarbonization. This paper assesses DSLNG's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, benchmarking its performance against national and international LNG facilities, and developing a structured decarbonization roadmap.

The paper utilizes the American Petroleum Institute (API) Compendium 2021 methodology to calculate the company's greenhouse gases, identifying gas turbine compressors (GTCs), gas turbine generators (GTGs), and flaring as the three largest emission sources. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed in collaboration with PT Pertamina EP Donggi Matindok Field to assess cradle-to-grave emissions, utilizing ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H), CML-IA Baseline V3.05, and IPCC (2019) impact assessment models. The findings indicate that power generation contributes the most to DSLNG's global warming potential, aligning with international benchmarking results.

Benchmarking analysis places DSLNG's carbon intensity at 0.31 tCO₂-e/tLNG, below both national (0.377 tCO₂-e/tLNG) and global (0.36 tCO₂-e/tLNG) averages, demonstrating its strong environmental performance. The paper outlines a phased decarbonization strategy, with short-term initiatives (2024–2025) focusing on energy efficiency improvements and CO₂ offset mechanisms, mid-term strategies (2026–2027) integrating renewable energy and carbon trading, and long-term strategies (2028–Onward) targeting carbon capture, hydrogen integration, and Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) studies.

DSLNG has implemented a series of proactive emission reduction initiatives, including flare minimization, process optimization, and enhanced operational reliability. These efforts have led to a significant reduction in CO2-equivalent emissions, with a cumulative total of 35,871 tons from 2020 to 2024. The study finds that DSLNG is strategically poised to support Indonesia's Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC) commitments, presenting a replicable model for decarbonization in standalone LNG liquefaction facilities.