Indonesia's Nickel Reserves to Power Global EV Revolution, Bakrie Says

Jakarta, VIVA – The Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and CEO of Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR), Anindya Bakrie, emphasized that Indonesia must position itself within the global electric vehicle (EV) supply chain ecosystem.

He stated that Indonesia has the determination and substantial resources to contribute to the world.

Moreover, he also elaborated on Indonesia's significant assets that enable it to join the global EV supply chain ecosystem.

“Underground, Indonesia possesses critical minerals such as nickel, accounting for 22% of the global supply. For other commodities like tin, copper, and bauxite, Indonesia ranks among the top five,” Bakrie said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday (Jan 21).

He added, “Above ground, we have immense renewable energy potential, including geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind energy."

With these resources and readiness, Bakrie highlighted that the Indonesian government has already planned to generate 100 Gigawatts (GW) of electricity, 75% of which will come from renewable energy sources.

Indonesia also boasts additional strengths, such as its rich biodiversity, which includes forests, peatlands, mangroves, coral reefs, and carbon capture potential of up to 500 Gigatons (GT).

Moreover, with a population in Southeast Asia totaling around 800 million people—285 million of whom are in Indonesia—Bakrie sees this as a vast market potential ready to be tapped.

To leverage such a significant market, Bakrie emphasized that Indonesia should not limit itself to merely producing raw materials for EV batteries.

Instead, Kadin chairman also advocated for a focus on manufacturing finished products.

“Imagine the concept of building battery materials using green energy while controlling carbon emissions, and Indonesia can make it happen. Many companies in Indonesia are already supplying not only to China but also to Europe, such as Volkswagen, and to the US, like Ford,” he stated.

“So, I believe Indonesia is open for business. We want to convey that we are an equal opportunity supplier in this discussion, and I think that makes it quite exciting,” Bakrie concluded.