Chinese Energy Investor Eyes Rempang Transmigration Area
Minister of Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara. (Photo: Public Relations of the Ministry of Transmigration)
The Ministry of Transmigration is opening opportunities for cooperation in energy sector investment with the global company China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) that could create thousands of jobs for local communities in the transmigration areas, including one in the Batam Rempang Galang Transmigration Area (Barelang).
This was conveyed in an audience between the Minister of Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara and the Vice President of CEEC Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters, Jin Bin, in Jakarta.
Iftitah stressed that investments entering transmigration areas must have a direct impact on communities, particularly through job creation and capacity building of human resources.
“We welcome investment plans that can absorb a large amount of local labour. Our principle is simple: investments must bring real benefits to communities,” Iftitah said, quoted on Sunday, 8 March 2026.
He explained that the government is currently arranging Rempang as an integrated new growth centre. The area is planned to be developed into a modern industrial city spanning about 8,000 hectares.
As part of the area’s development, the government is also building various supporting infrastructures, from a fishermen’s jetty, cold storage facilities, to Kampus Patriot, which will become a centre for education and training of local workers in the transmigration area.
“Our Patriot Campus is prepared as a distance-learning campus from partner universities and also a centre of workforce training that can support the needs of the industries entering the area,” he said.
In the meeting, CEEC expressed interest in exploring investments in several areas, including the transmigration areas. The global energy company, ranked among the world’s top 500 companies, said it is committed to prioritising the absorption of local labour in every project it develops.
Vice President CEEC Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters, Mr. Jin Bin, said Indonesia is one of the company’s strategic investment destinations after operating in more than 147 countries.
“We see Indonesia as a key investment destination. We have also visited Rempang Island and are studying investment opportunities in the area,” Mr. Jin Bin said.
CEEC has been present in Indonesia since 1994 and to date has implemented more than 100 projects with a total contract value of around USD 7 billion, mainly in power generation and energy infrastructure. Projects include steam power plants, hydropower, and solar energy.
According to Mr. Jin Bin, the planned investment has the potential to absorb a large number of workers. In each project, the company targets employing up to 5,000 workers, with a composition prioritising Indonesian locals.
“The planned labour mix is one Chinese worker for every ten Indonesian workers. We want to ensure that the investments we make also provide real benefits to the community,” he said.
In addition to job opportunities, CEEC also stated readiness to support capacity-building of the workforce through training programmes that can be synergised with training facilities in the transmigration area.
Minister Iftitah added that the government is currently coordinating with various parties, including BP Batam, to ensure that the investment process in the Rempang area can proceed in a conducive and sustainable manner.
He said the investment approach that prioritises community empowerment is very important to avoid social conflicts that occurred in the area several years ago.
“If investments can be a solution for the community through employment, public support will be even stronger,” concluded Minister Iftitah.