Minister Confirms Precursor Export to Europe, North America by 2025
- VIVA.co.id/M Ali Wafa
Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has confirmed that Indonesia will begin exporting precursors, a key raw material for electric vehicle (EV) battery production, to North America and Europe in early 2025.
The announcement was made following his visit to the Weda Bay Project industrial area in Central Halmahera, North Maluku.
During the visit, Minister Kartasasmita commended the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) for its remarkable progress.
IWIP, through its subsidiary Huaneng New Material, plans to export 50,000 tons of Precursor Nickel Cobalt Manganese Hydroxide (NCM) annually to North America and Europe starting next year.
"I deeply appreciate and thank all the teams at Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park for their dedication in making Weda Bay the first integrated industrial park in Indonesia to support mineral processing and the production of EV battery components," the minister stated on Tuesday (Dec 3).
Menteri Perindustrian Agus Gumiwang
- VIVA/Yeni Lestari
He emphasized the government's commitment to accelerating the development of the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) ecosystem through projects like Weda Bay.
"This project is expected to strengthen the EV ecosystem and positively impact Indonesia's economy, particularly in North Maluku and Central Halmahera," minister Kartasamita added.
IWIP President Director Xiang Binghe also expressed gratitude for the government's support, noting that IWIP's growth, which now employs over 80,000 people, is the result of strong collaboration between the company and the government.
"We hope this cooperation continues to thrive, enabling the project to grow rapidly and deliver significant benefits to Indonesia, especially for the people of North Maluku and Central Halmahera," Binghe remarked.
Additionally, the Weda Bay Project plans to expand by producing EV batteries and Energy Storage Systems (ESS), managed by REPT Battero Energy Co. Production capacity will begin at 8 GWh in March 2026 and is expected to increase to 20 GWh by 2027.
