Jokowi Says The Petrochemical Cilegon Factory Can Fulfill 70 Percent Of Local Substitutions

President Joko Widodo when he arrived in Cilegon, Banten, Tuesday (12/9/2023). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said the construction of a petrochemical factory project in Cilegon, Banten, would be a substitute for petrochemical imports. "What I'm happy about is that this will be an import substitution, 70 percent for local, 30 (percent) for exports," said President Jokowi while reviewing the construction of the Lotte Chemical Petrochemical Factory Project, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 12. The president said the factory project had started in 2020 and would be completed by 2025. According to him, the development of factory construction was very good and 73 percent had been completed. He said the project was related to a very large investment, namely US$3.9 billion or around Rp. 60 trillion, and absorbed up to 13,000 workers. "This factory will produce ethylene, polypropylene, gasoline, and others. There will be 17 products produced," said the President. The President conveyed that the results of petrochemical production at the factory were a substitution of petrochemical imported goods that had been carried out so far. According to the report received by Jokowi, the construction of the factory will be completed in March 2025 and will be tested.

The waste from the petrochemical factory, said Jokowi, will partly be used for power plants. "There is (a waste) used for power plants. Approximately it appears at 50 megawatts because the total electricity used here is around 100 megawatts of separo from the electricity is generated from the Lotte industry," he said.