Pertamina And Electrum Cooperation To Develop The Electric Vehicle Battery Industry In Indonesia

Pertamina NRE CEO Dannif Danusaputro. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Pertamina New and Renewable Energy (Pertamina NRE) and Electrum signed an initial agreement on cooperation in developing the electric vehicle business on Saturday 12 November.

Electrum is a joint venture company of PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk and PT TBS Energi Utama Tbk while Pertamina NRE is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina (Persero) which was established to work on the renewable energy sector.

The signing of the agreement was carried out by the Managing Director of Electrum, Patrick Adhiatmadja and the Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina NRE, Dannif Danusaputro.

Electrum and Pertamina NRE will explore cooperation in the electric vehicle ecosystem, including collaboration related to battery infrastructure such as technology development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

This step reaffirms Electrum's commitment as the initiator of the integrated and complete electric vehicle ecosystem development movement in Indonesia.

Pertamina NRE CEO Dannif Danusaputro said changes from fossil-fueled vehicles to electric vehicles sooner or later would occur.

Pertamina NRE through Indonesia Battery Corporation participated in the development of an electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia.

"We believe that collaboration with various parties will accelerate the development of this ecosystem, including strategic cooperation with Electrum," he said in a statement to the media quoted Monday, November 14.

Managing Director of Electrum, Patrick Adhiatmadja revealed, Indonesia has been on the right track to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Asia.

According to him, the development of an electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia can provide added value to the economy worth 10 billion US Dollars and open up to 200,000 new jobs by 2030.

Indonesia has three main advantages in the development of the electric vehicle industry. First, Indonesia's position as the largest two-wheeled motorcycle market in Southeast Asia. Second, already has the ability to manufacture motorized vehicles. Finally, the largest nickel reserves in the world are the main ingredients for making batteries. These three things emphasize that the potential of Indonesian electric motors should be worked on seriously, even a lot of global investors have looked at, "explained Patrick.

Patrick added, in order to optimize this potential, there is still a lot of homework to be done on the supply and demand side.

"Electrum is in a strategic position to continue to gain insight into the development of battery infrastructure, especially the battery charging mechanism through trials carried out with Gojek driver partners", he said.

Previously, Electrum had collaborated with other Pertamina subsidiaries, namely Pertamina Patra Niaga, to test electric vehicles in Jakarta with Gogoro and Gesits.

Meanwhile, Pertamina is also actively and will decarbonize its business, as well as build a green business through its subsidiary, Pertamina NRE.

Not only the electric vehicle ecosystem, Pertamina NRE also develops non-smooth fuel for vehicles, namely clean hydrogen.

Clean hydrogen, namely blue hydrogen and green hydrogen can be a solution to the industrial sector that is difficult to decarbonize (hard-to-abate industries) and the transportation sector.

Pertamina NRE also collaborates with various strategic partners to develop clean hydrogen.