Antam, IBC and Huayou Consortium Believed to Bring Indonesia to Become a Major Player in the Battery Industry

Photo: Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources

JAKARTA - PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam), PT Industri Baterai Indonesia or Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), together with global strategic partner Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd. confirmed their joint commitment to accelerate the development of an integrated battery ecosystem in Indonesia through the signing of a Framework Agreement (FA) as an initial framework for accelerating the Nickel Processing Program and investment in an integrated battery ecosystem.

This strategic collaboration involves HYD Investment Limited, a consortium of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd. and EVE Energy Co., Ltd., as well as PT Daaz Bara Lestari Tbk, as part of efforts to build an integrated battery supply chain from upstream to downstream in Indonesia, ranging from nickel resource management, processing and purification, to battery production.

IBC President Director, Aditya Farhan Arif, said that this cooperation is an important step in realizing Indonesia as a major player in the global integrated battery industry.

"IBC was formed to ensure that Indonesia not only becomes a supplier of raw materials, but also a center for integrated battery industries that are globally competitive and sustainable. This collaboration reflects the strong commitment of all stakeholders in building a high-value national industrial ecosystem," said Aditya, Friday, January 30.

From the upstream side, Antam emphasized its role as a strategic raw material provider that is managed responsibly and sustainably. Antam's President Director, Untung Budiharto, emphasized that this cooperation is in line with Antam's mandate in strengthening the national mineral downstream.

"ANTAM views this collaboration as part of a strategic transformation to ensure that Indonesia's mineral resources provide maximum added value within the country. Through synergy with IBC and global partners such as Huayou, we are committed to supporting the development of a sustainable, competitive, and integrated battery ecosystem in line with national strategic interests," said Untung.

Meanwhile, the President Director of Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co., Ltd., Chen Xuehua, said that Indonesia has a strategic position in the global supply chain of integrated batteries, both in terms of resources and the vision of industrialization policies.

"Huayou sees Indonesia as a long-term strategic partner in the development of the global battery industry. Through this cooperation, we are committed to providing technology, industry experience, and global sustainability practices to support the development of an integrated battery ecosystem in Indonesia," said the Chairman of Huayou.

As an entity tasked by the government to develop the national battery industry, IBC acts as a liaison and orchestrator of synergy between domestic industries and global partners, including in terms of technology, as well as project governance. This collaboration also opens up opportunities for technology transfer and increasing national human capital capacity.

The planned integrated battery ecosystem includes the development of battery facilities that will be further detailed in a feasibility study with a potential target capacity of up to 20 GWh and the investment value of this integrated battery ecosystem reaches 5-6 billion US dollars. This project is projected to create thousands of jobs, strengthen the national industrial structure, and make a significant contribution to Indonesia's economic growth and energy transition agenda.

This framework agreement serves as the basis for the preparation of a joint feasibility study and a definitive agreement to be implemented in stages. Antam, IBC, and Huayou are committed to ensuring that all stages of project development are carried out in accordance with good governance principles, sustainability, and national strategic interests.