China Energy Targets Investment in Transmigration Region, Ready to Recruit 5,000 Local Workers
The Ministry of Transmigration has opened investment cooperation opportunities in the energy sector with global company China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC). The investment has the potential to create thousands of jobs for local communities in transmigration zones, including the Batam Rempang Galang (Barelang) region.
This cooperation opportunity was discussed during an audience between Transmigration Minister M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara and CEEC Vice President for Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters Jin Bin in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.
In the meeting, Iftitah emphasised that every investment entering the transmigration zone must deliver direct benefits to the community, particularly through job creation and human resource capacity enhancement.
“We welcome investment plans that can absorb local workers in large numbers. Our principle is simple: investments that come in must provide real benefits for the community,” said Iftitah.
He explained that the government is currently developing the Rempang region as a new integrated economic growth centre. The area is planned to develop into a modern industrial city covering approximately 8,000 hectares.
As part of this regional development, the government is also constructing various supporting infrastructure such as fishing docks, cold storage facilities, and Patriot Campus, prepared as an education and workforce training centre for communities in the transmigration zone.
“We are preparing Patriot Campus as a remote campus for partner universities and as a workforce training centre that can support the needs of industries entering the region,” he explained.
During the audience, CEEC expressed its interest in exploring investment opportunities in several Indonesian regions, including transmigration zones. The global energy company, ranked among the world’s 500 largest companies, stated its commitment to prioritising local worker absorption in every project it undertakes.
Jin Bin said Indonesia is one of the strategic investment destinations for the company, which has operated in more than 147 countries.
“We see Indonesia as one of our primary investment destinations. We have also visited Rempang Island and are studying investment opportunities in the region,” said Jin Bin.
CEEC has been operating in Indonesia since 1994 and has implemented more than 100 projects with contract values of approximately 7 billion US dollars, particularly in the electricity generation and energy infrastructure sectors. These projects include the development of steam power plants, hydroelectric facilities, and solar power installations.
According to Jin Bin, the planned investment has the potential to absorb workers in large numbers. In each project, the company targets employing up to 5,000 workers with a composition that prioritises Indonesian local workers.
“The workforce ratio we are planning is one worker from China for every ten Indonesian local workers. We want to ensure that the investment we make also provides real benefits for the community,” he explained.
Beyond creating job opportunities, CEEC also expressed readiness to support workforce capacity enhancement through training programmes that can be integrated with training facilities in the transmigration zone.
Meanwhile, Minister Iftitah added that the government is currently coordinating with various parties, including BP Batam, to ensure that the investment process in the Rempang region can proceed in a conducive and sustainable manner.
According to him, an investment approach that emphasises community empowerment is very important to prevent potential social conflicts such as those that occurred in the region several years ago.
“If investment can become a solution for the community through job opportunities, then community support will also become stronger,” concluded Iftitah.