Indonesia says nickel industry now spans mining to EV battery cells
Minister Bahlil Lahadalia cited three battery facilities, including an Antam–CATL venture scheduled for inauguration in November.
Indonesia has developed a domestic production chain linking nickel mining with electric vehicle battery cells, Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia said in Jakarta on November 2. He attributed the development to the government's sustained industrialisation policies.
Addressing the opening of the 2026 Mineral and Coal Convention and Exhibition, Bahlil identified three major battery facilities. They include a plant at Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, and Hyundai LG Indonesia (HLI) Green Power's Karawang plant in West Java. The latter began operating in July 2024.
The third is a joint venture between state-owned Antam and CATL in Karawang. President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to inaugurate that facility later in November.
Official figures put Indonesia's nickel exports at US$40 billion in 2025, compared with US$3.3 billion in 2017. The ministry's Directorate General of Minerals and Coal recorded US$25.96 billion as of August 2026. Bahlil, who is also Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, said domestic processing was needed to retain processing revenues and maximise the value generated from the country's minerals.
