In two more weeks, Indonesia will have an electric vehicle battery factory. The factory, which is located in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, is a manifestation of the government’s plan to boost the Battery-Based Electric Motor Vehicle ecosystem.
This was conveyed by the Deputy for Investment and Mining of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Septian Hario Seto. Even so, Seto did not go into more detail regarding the battery factory that would operate.
“So later on 21-22 (November) there will be an inauguration ceremony for the battery factory in Morowali,” said Seto, quoted Tuesday (8/11/2022).
Seto ensured that the government had prepared competent human resources (HR) to be employed in the integrated battery factory. The government has also built an industrial polytechnic to train local high school graduates to be ready to work.
“Once we graduate, the industry will immediately absorb it. This is our effort to improve human resources. So it’s not true that we are importing foreign workers on a large scale, I don’t think so,” he said.
In addition, the government has also distributed scholarships to around 35 students to pursue postgraduate studies in China. So that when the battery factory is completed, the operation of the battery factory can be carried out by local power.
“There are already 35 people who have been sent to master’s education so that they can return to work and operate a battery raw material factory whose technology is not widely used by many countries and they will send another batch of 2. So I think this may be something that is not widely known and needs to be straightened out, ” he said.
As previously reported, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan targets Indonesia to produce batteries for electric vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This is in line with the ongoing integrated electric vehicle battery factory project from upstream to downstream.
“Indonesia plans to export lithium EV batteries. I see we hope that with the CATL cooperation we can produce in the fourth quarter of 2024, 2030 to become number 2-3 contributors of lithium batteries,” said Luhut in the ‘Launch of CSR Activity Reports of Chinese Companies in Indonesia’ in Raffles Hotel, Jakarta, Friday (10/28/2022).
According to Luhut, his party is open to anyone getting involved in battery ecosystem projects, from LG Energy Solution (LGES), and Tesla to Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) from China.
“I realize Indonesia is continuing its transition to a green economy the importance of sustainable development. China is one of our investors to follow the rules in Indonesia for investment and they are following the green economy,” he said.
Deputy for Investment and Mining Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investments, Septian Hario Seto, previously said that there were several integrated electric vehicle battery projects that were currently running. For example, the collaboration between PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM), IBC with LG, and CATL for the development of electric vehicle batteries.
“Then the HPAL nickel smelter project on Obi Island. Then in Morowali, PT. Indonesia Konawe Industrial Park (IKIP) with PT Sulawesi Cahaya Mineral is also a battery ecosystem. The Pomalaa nickel smelter is at PT Vale,” he said at the Closing Bell event, Wednesday (28). /9/2022).
