Indonesia starts $ 5.9 BN EV -battery project despite the fears of the area
Indonesia broke on Sunday on a mega project of $ 5.9 billion for EV -battery production supported by the Chinese gigantic Catl, despite the fact that NGOs express concern about a lack of environmental areas.
Indonesia is the world’s largest nickel producer and tries to take advantage of its enormous reserves, with an export ban from 2020 that a domestic industrial tree of the key metal is used in EV batteries and stainless steel.
The EV battery project comprises an investment of $ 4.7 billion on the eastern island of Halmahera and an investment of $ 1.2 billion in West -Java, said Energie van Energie Bahlil Lahadalia in a speech alongside Prabowo Subianto.
“According to my calculation, it will not be long, probably between five and six years old we will be able to reach energy self -supply,” said Pabowo during a groundbreaking ceremony in Karawang, West Java.
Bahlil said that the Halmahera complex will concentrate on mining, melting and production of cathodes that are an important part in rechargeable batteries.
The West Java complex will focus on the production of battery cells, the minister said.
The two politicians did not say when the mega project was planned to be operational, but Indonesian officials said that a CATL factory in Halmahera would open in March next year.
In addition to Catl, the Halmahera complex is supported by the Chinese Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Antam in Indonesia.
Climate Rights International (CRI) and Greenpeace Indonesia have issued a call this week for more guarantees from Jakarta that measures were present to protect the surrounding environment in the larger complex in Eastern Halmahera.
Environment group Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) said in a statement on Saturday that Jakarta “pursued vague economic growth, while consciously ignored the scream of people” to end damage to the environment and the livelihood of the residents.
Halmahera, once at the pointed island in the Maluku archipelago, has seen the environmental damage increase as the activities have grown in a large industrial park that houses the largest nickel mine in the world.
A CRI report this month warned that the Indonesian government allowed environmental damage to become uncontrolled around the Weda Bay Mine and the Industrial Park that it houses.
A AFP report last month detailed how the home base of the nomadic Hongana Manyawa -Stame was eaten by mining activities there.
DSA/JFX/RSC
