On June 29, Indonesian President Prabowo stated that the Indonesian battery ecosystem project will make Indonesia the only country in Southeast Asia capable of achieving integrated production across the entire value chain of battery manufacturing, from upstream to downstream. He expressed willingness to work with Chinese partners to promote this milestone strategic project.
The Indonesian battery ecosystem project is jointly invested in and constructed by Indonesia's state-owned mining company Antam, Indonesian Battery Corporation (IBC), and CBL International Development Pte Ltd. (CBL). The total planned investment is USD 5.9 billion, with manufacturing sites located in East Halmahera, North Maluku, and Karawang, West Java. The project covers the entire battery production industry chain, including laterite nickel ore development, pyrometallurgical refining, hydrometallurgical refining, battery materials, battery recycling, and battery manufacturing.
For a long time, Indonesia, as a major economic power in Southeast Asia and a global supplier of mineral resources, has demonstrated unique cooperative potential. The country is rich in mineral resources, including significant deposits of high-quality nickel, tin, copper, gold, and coal, with a particularly abundant nickel resource. Indonesia holds the largest nickel laterite reserves globally, accounting for one-quarter of the world’s nickel resources, making it a hotspot for global new energy. In comparison, China’s nickel reserves account for only 3% of global supply.
Given Indonesia's rich nickel resources and potential in the new energy industry, Chinese companies have made large-scale investments and actively expanded in the fields of nickel mining and processing in Indonesia. Furthermore, guided by the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese enterprises have deepened their foreign investment cooperation, accumulating policy practice and industrial foundations that provide important support for Chinese companies to build a complete nickel industry chain in Indonesia. In-depth cooperation between China and Indonesia in these areas will help promote the development of both countries' new energy industries, support global low-carbon transformation, and contribute to global sustainable development.