Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated a national strategic project, the Groundbreaking of the Integrated Electric Battery Industry Ecosystem, in the Artha Industrial Hills (AIH) area, Karawang, West Java, on Sunday, 29 June.
The project is the result of collaboration between ANTAM, IBC (Indonesia Battery Corporation), and the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) through the ANTAM-IBC-CBL consortium.
In the presence of ministers and guests, President Prabowo described this project as a significant step that reflects mutually beneficial cooperation between nations, as well as a leap towards sustainable energy independence.
“This is a colossal cooperation between Indonesia and China. An extraordinary breakthrough that allows us to produce renewable and environmentally friendly energy, as the world aspires to,” Prabowo said.
“Indonesia has all the basic ingredients – nickel, mangosteen, cobalt – but not yet lithium. However, we admit that we have not yet fully mastered the technology. That’s why we are collaborating with global partners such as CATL from China,” explained Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) Bahlil Lahadalia, who was also present at the inauguration.
The project is being built in two main locations. In Karawang, West Java, battery cell production facilities and energy storage systems will be developed. Meanwhile, five other sub-projects will be established in the Feni Haltim (FHT) Area, East Halmahera, North Maluku, which will be the centre for processing raw minerals and battery precursors.
With an investment value of USD5.9 billion or around Rp95 trillion, the project covers an area of 3,023 hectares and is estimated to absorb up to 35,000 direct labourers. In addition, the project will also boost local economic growth through the development of 18 supporting infrastructures, including a multifunctional jetty.
Bahlil added that the project is an ideal model of collaboration between a resource-rich country and a technology-rich country. The Karawang and Halmahera electric battery projects are also part of the National Strategic Project (PSN), which aims to accelerate the energy transition and support the target of zero carbon emissions by 2060.
The inauguration of this project also marks Indonesia’s commitment to building an integrated electric vehicle ecosystem from upstream to downstream. President Prabowo closed his speech with great expectations. “We must be confident. We are a big, rich nation, and with the right co-operation, we can lead the world’s clean energy future.” (Hartatik)
Banner photo: nsh/2023
