JABAR EKSPRES – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called for the acceleration of foreign and domestic investment realization for the creation of an electric vehicle (EV) battery industry ecosystem in a green industrial area in Bantaeng, South Sulawesi, with a target of groundbreaking in September 2023.
“The direction is that we will accelerate because this investment will be built in an industrial area that is green energy, will use wind power in Sulawesi, in Bantaeng,” Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board Bahlil Lahadalia said after a meeting chaired by President Jokowi at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday (5/31).
Bahlil said the foreign investment for the electric car battery comes from British investors, who are working with companies from Belgium, then with state-owned enterprises in Indonesia, and also from Switzerland.
In addition to the industrial area for electric car batteries in Bantaeng, Bahlil said, the government also wants to accelerate the realization of nickel mining investment in Papua.
Despite wanting acceleration, Bahlil said, the President asked that all investment mechanisms be carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
“So we should not be slow only with studies. This country has too many studies to our principle, the direction of the President clearly asks for acceleration in September all have been completed. It must be completed and groundbreaking must have started at the location and everything is clear,” he said.
The investment value for electric car batteries in Bantaeng, said Bahlil, reached 9 billion US dollars, with production in the form of cell batteries to meet domestic and export demand.
“The first stage is approximately (production) around 20 Giga for the cell battery. In the future, we will definitely increase domestic demand and exports. Export for Europe. This is the UK, it will be the hub for Europe,” Bahlil said.
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