“JAKARTA: “Indonesia Launches China-Built EV Battery Anode Plant”, President Joko Widodo on Wednesday inaugurated a new plant, developed by China’s BTR New Material Group and Singapore’s Stellar Investment, that will manufacture anode materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The facility marks a significant step in Indonesia’s push to become a key player in the global EV supply chain.”
In the first phase, the companies invested US$478 million in the plant that will produce 80,000 metric tonnes of materials per year, according to the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime and Investment Affairs. The production start date has not yet been announced.
Indonesia has ambitions to build a domestic electric vehicle industry, taking advantage of its rich mineral resources, especially nickel, an important material for battery cathode.
“Our decision several years back to develop a big EV ecosystem is starting to materialise in Indonesia, starting when we banned export of raw nickel in 2020,” the president, who is widely known as Jokowi, said at the formal opening of the plant in Kendal, Central Java.
For the anode plant, BTR would process graphite products from its Indonesian Morowali plant.
