Bahlil Reports 13 New Downstream Projects Worth Rp 239 Trillion to Prabowo
JAKARTA - The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Bahlil Lahadalia, has revealed that there are 13 additional downstream projects with a total investment value of Rp 239 trillion that will be built. He conveyed this to President Prabowo Subianto during a limited meeting in Hambalang, West Java, on Wednesday (25/3/2026). Bahlil stated that these 13 projects differ from the 20 first-phase downstream projects. “We are adding another 13 downstream items with a total investment of approximately Rp 239 trillion, and we will discuss the finalisation,” Bahlil said, quoted from his official statement on Friday (27/3/2026). In addition to downstream processing, the optimisation of all domestic energy potential is being promoted to strengthen energy independence. One of these efforts is through the development of ethanol and biodiesel based on crude palm oil (CPO) to reduce reliance on imports. During the occasion, Bahlil also reported the latest conditions of energy and mineral commodity prices, particularly coal and nickel. He emphasised that there have been no policy changes regarding the management of these two commodities so far, while the government continues to monitor global market dynamics. Nevertheless, the government remains open to measured production relaxations for coal and nickel. “What is meant by measured relaxation is limited and still maintains supply and demand, as well as prices,” he added. He also signalled potential adjustments to the nickel mineral reference price (HPM). According to Bahlil, this policy is being considered so that the country obtains a fairer value from the utilisation of these strategic minerals. Bahlil said that President Prabowo has given specific instructions for the management of natural resources to prioritise national interests. The Head of State emphasised the importance of preserving natural resources as national strategic assets while encouraging the optimisation of state revenues from the mineral sector.