Bahlil Reports to Prabowo: Karawang EV Battery Plant Complete

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has reported to President Prabowo Subianto that the electric vehicle battery plant owned by PT Contemporary Amperex Technology Indonesia Battery (CATIB) in Karawang, West Java, is now complete and ready to enter production. Speaking after a meeting at the palace, Bahlil stated that the agenda included preparations for the plant’s inauguration. “The CATL factory for the EV battery ecosystem, which had its groundbreaking in 2021-2022, is now finished and ready to produce,” Bahlil said in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/7/2026).

PT CATIB is a joint venture between Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC) and CBL, a subsidiary of Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL). IBC President Director Aditya Farhan Arif confirmed that the first phase of the plant has a production capacity of 6.9 gigawatt hours (GWh) and that commercial operations are targeted to begin by the end of July 2026. “The first capacity we will install is 6.9 GWh and, God willing, it remains on schedule. Progress is currently at 90%, so we are quite optimistic we can achieve the target,” Aditya said.

Aditya explained that the plant will not face difficulties finding a market, as buyers are already secured. The EV battery industry concept was built based on existing demand, allowing production to commence immediately upon commercial readiness. Trial production runs are already underway at the PT CATIB facility. He further noted that the plant occupies the most downstream position in the nickel value chain, from mining and initial processing to battery material and cell production, making it a vital part of Indonesia’s integrated nickel industry ecosystem. The initial 6.9 GWh capacity is set to be expanded to at least 15 GWh, which is equivalent to powering roughly 250,000 electric vehicles.