PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), a state-owned diversified mining company in Indonesia, announced a nearly US$6 billion investment plan to establish an integrated nickel mining and battery recycling supply chain, transforming Indonesia from a raw material exporter into a hub for electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing.

Antam plans to collaborate with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and several state-owned enterprises, with the majority of its facilities located in North Maluku Province. 

Additionally, a new pyrometallurgical smelter and a hydrometallurgical smelter will be built in the East Halmahera Industrial Zone, slated to begin operations in 2027 and 2028, respectively, with an annual production capacity of 88,000 tons of refined nickel alloy and 55,000 tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP). A 30,000-ton annual production plant for nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathode materials will also be established. The battery plant will be located in Karawang, West Java, close to automotive manufacturing.

Antam is also developing a battery recycling business capable of producing 20,000 tons of metal sulfate and lithium carbonate annually starting in 2031.

Antam President Director Achmad Ardianto emphasized that the project will help Indonesia evolve from a raw-material exporter into a key player in the global EV battery supply chain, aligned with a joint venture between the sovereign wealth fund Danantara and Chinese partners to strengthen Indonesia’s strategic position in the global EV industry.