The groundbreaking of CATL’s Electric Vehicle Battery Plant was officiated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Prabowo Subianto, on June 29, 2025. The plant represents a total investment of USD 5.9 billion or approximately IDR 96.4 trillion. This project is a joint venture between CATL, Brunp, and Lygend (CBL), along with PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) and PT Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC).

This is an integrated end-to-end project, starting from nickel mining, refining, and the production of battery materials such as cathodes, cobalt sulphate, and ternary precursors in North Maluku, and continuing to battery cell production in two industrial estates in West Karawang :  Karawang New Industry City (KNIC), covering 37 hectares and Artha Industrial Hills (AIH), covering 19 hectares.

Battery cell production will be executed in two phases : Phase 1: 6.9 GWh/year and Phase 2: 8.1 GWh/year. Totalling a combined production capacity of 15 GWh/year. The ownership structure consists of CBL holding 70% of the shares and PT IBC 30%. The project is expected to begin Phase 1 production in 2026, followed by Phase 2 in 2028. The plant will manufacture battery cells for electric vehicles and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), serving both domestic and export markets.

In his remarks, President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that this project reflects a long-standing dream of Indonesia to advance its downstream industrialization agenda, a vision that dates back to the era of Indonesia’s first President, Soekarno.

He stated that this largest battery project in Southeast Asia is a testament to Indonesia’s commitment to pursuing a sustainable energy future. He welcomed the strategic cooperation with global partners to build a green battery industry ecosystem.

The inauguration marks a significant step in Indonesia’s energy transition journey, reinforcing national industrial independence by leveraging strategic minerals in the global electric vehicle supply chain.

The CATL battery plant located in Karawang New Industry City (KNIC) is the second EV battery plant in the area. Since September 2021, PT HLI Green Power has already commenced its operations in KNIC. The presence of both EV battery plants positions KNIC as the largest Electric Vehicle Battery Industry Hub in Asia, and underscores Indonesia’s national goal of achieving energy independence.