Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the groundbreaking of a massive $5.9-6 billion integrated electric vehicle battery project in East Halmahera, North Maluku, backed by China's battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) in partnership with state-owned companies Aneka Tambang and Indonesia Battery Corporation.
Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced the project involves a $4.7 billion investment on Halmahera island and an additional $1.2 billion investment in West Java, with the lithium-ion battery plant expected to begin operations by end-2026.
The facility will start with an initial production capacity of 6.9 gigawatt hours (GWh) and could potentially expand to 40 GWh if solar energy storage systems are integrated, according to Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.
This strategic initiative aligns with Indonesia's ambitious national target of producing 600,000 electric vehicles by 2030 and supports the country's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
North Maluku Governor Sherly Tjoanda emphasized that this integrated EV battery project positions Indonesia to leverage its vast nickel resources and become a major player in the global electric vehicle battery supply chain and a leading EV production hub in Southeast Asia.
