The government is very serious about developing electric battery production in Indonesia. This is reflected in the government’s plan to prepare four areas as electric battery factories. Therefore, Indonesia is ready to become the world’s main supplier of electric batteries.
This was stated directly by the Deputy for Investment and Mining of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Septian Hario Seto. He stated that around November 21-22, the government will inaugurate an electric battery factory in Morowali.
The government will determine four areas that will become centers of electric vehicle battery factories. In addition to the nickel processing industrial area of PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi. There are still several other areas that will become the center of battery factory development.
Among them is PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) in Weda District, Central Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province. Then the industry in Konawe Regency, and finally the industry in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi.
“So I think the ecosystem that we will build is not only Morowali, it is in Weda Bay, Konawe is in Pomalaa. Now we are developing technology for processing low-grade nickel ore,” said Seto, quoted Tuesday (8/11/2022).
Furthermore, Seto said that the project pipeline for processing nickel ore into batteries in Indonesia in the next two to three years will have an investment value of around US$ 19 billion. There are at least 18 ongoing projects, all of which are outside the investment of LG Energy Solution and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL).
“So it’s quite a significant investment in the battery. What’s interesting is that there is 1 investment in the anode, this is interesting, actually we don’t have any raw materials at all. The raw material is graphite, we don’t have it. the battery that we built has started to grow,” he said.
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.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed when Indonesia would produce its own electric vehicle batteries.
“Now it’s on, in 2024 quarter 2-3 we will produce our batteries, in collaboration with CATL or LG or other industries,” said Luhut when met in Badung, Bali, Wednesday (9/11/2022).
