President Prabowo Subianto launched Indonesia’s inaugural electric-vehicle battery exports alongside 11 industrial projects on Thursday, anchoring a massive expansion of the country’s downstream mining sector with a $10.2 billion investment push, according to ANTARA News.
Speaking at an industrial park at Weda Bay in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, Prabowo addressed growing anxieties among foreign operators by vowing that Jakarta remains firmly committed to protecting capital regardless of its origin. The ceremony marked the commercial rollout of facilities partly controlled by Chinese steelmaker Tsingshan Holding Group and the first overseas shipments of EV batteries produced by REPT Battero.
“I emphasise here an Indonesian government commitment to respect and safeguard all investments, from wherever,” Prabowo said at the event. “We are committed to safeguarding our partnership as well as possible. It is a matter of honour for the Indonesian people to support our partners.”
Industrial Expansion at Weda Bay and Halmahera Projects
The newly unveiled slate carries a combined price tag of US$10.2 billion, roughly equivalent to Rp180 trillion, according to figures detailed by Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani. The capital deployment is split between operations kicking off immediately and new construction breaking ground at the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP).
Four industrial projects with a combined value of US$3.4 billion (Rp60 trillion) officially entered commercial operations. ANTARA News identified these commercialized facilities as Blue Sparking Energy, REPT Battero Indonesia, Pioneer Aluminium Industries, and XCMG Indonesia Manufacturing.
Meanwhile, seven additional projects broke ground at the same site, valued at US$6.8 billion. Those construction ventures include Guangqing Nickel Cobalt, Eno Prima Material, Tinci Materials Indonesia, Weda Bay Aluminium, Bintang Karya Aluminium, Flat Solar Energy Indonesia, and Guangqing Motor Indonesia. The diverse portfolio spans nickel-based battery materials, EV battery separators and electrolytes, electrolytic aluminium, industrial transport trucks, and photovoltaic glass for solar energy applications.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya noted that Prabowo departed from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta early Thursday morning alongside a delegation of senior ministers to oversee the launch, Tempo reported. Prabowo was accompanied by Bahlil Lahadalia, recently inaugurated as the Coordinating Minister for Downstream and Energy Transition, alongside other top officials.
Balancing Downstream Ambitions with Foreign Investor Pressures
Thursday’s high-profile reassurances come at a critical juncture for Indonesia’s metals industry. While the country sits atop the world’s largest nickel ore reserves and banned raw nickel exports in 2020 to force domestic refining, policy shifts have rattled some international partners. Chinese companies operating within the archipelago recently called for more business-friendly policies, warning that tighter mining quotas, higher taxes, and altered pricing formulas were driving up operating costs and threatening future capital commitments.
The aggressive downstreaming strategy has nonetheless drastically altered the national economy. Rosan noted that the sector’s share of total investment climbed to 35 percent from 25 percent over a two-year window, with over 75 percent of those funds deployed outside of Java. Mineral processing operations in North Maluku now generate nearly half of the province’s gross domestic product, anchoring a regional trade surplus of Rp31.1 trillion (US$1.7 billion) for 2025.
The broader IWIP ecosystem now hosts 52 corporate tenants—including global commodities players Glencore and Trafigura—and has drawn US$20 billion in investment since 2018. An additional US$7 billion is already planned for the complex, which boasts massive energy infrastructure with over 7.1 gigawatts of installed and planned power capacity.
What Lies Ahead for Indonesia’s EV Battery Supply Chain
Plans are already underway to integrate battery recycling into the domestic industrial fabric.
Ministerial discussions are exploring expansive renewable energy tie-ins. Rosan confirmed that Tsingshan has held talks with Danantara regarding potential participation in a massive 100-gigawatt solar-panel development program, signaling that the next phase of Indonesia’s resource transformation will lean heavily into renewable power generation.
