Prabowo Vows to Transform Indonesia into an Industrial and Modern Nation

President Prabowo Subianto has asserted the government’s determination to make Indonesia an industrial and modern country, ensuring its people can live well and decently. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Abadi Masela National Strategic LNG Project via video conference from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, the President stated that Indonesia requires energy to carry out the nation’s transformation towards becoming a productive country capable of generating various industrial products. ‘I have planned, and I have seen the real plans. We are determined to become an industrial nation, a modern nation, and we are determined that our people must live well, live decently,’ the President said. According to Prabowo, Indonesia possesses the resources and human resource capacity to realise these aspirations. Prabowo stressed that the government also needs funding support to build health services, improve the welfare of teachers and civil servants, and construct various infrastructure required by a modern society. Therefore, the Head of State stated that strategic projects, such as the Abadi Masela LNG, play a crucial role in supporting national development, including the downstreaming and industrialisation agenda which requires a large energy supply. ‘Thus, this kind of project is very important. I greatly appreciate the commencement of this project,’ the President remarked. The President also emphasised that economic development, transformation, downstreaming, and industrialisation must bring prosperity to as many Indonesians as possible. ‘The economy must be for the people, not the people for the economy. All of this belongs to the people. Our responsibility is to ensure that the people feel the benefits,’ Prabowo asserted. The groundbreaking marks the start of one of the largest energy investments in Indonesian history, serving as a significant milestone in strengthening national energy security and promoting equitable development to the eastern region of Indonesia. The Abadi Masela LNG project is being developed by INPEX Masela Ltd. in partnership with Pertamina and Petronas, with an investment value of approximately 20.9 billion US dollars. The facility is designed to have a production capacity of 9.5 million tonnes of LNG per year, supply 150 million standard cubic feet per day of domestic pipeline gas, and produce approximately 35,000 barrels of condensate per day. As of early July 2026, Front End Engineering Design progress has reached 79.56 percent, exceeding the target, while the completion of various strategic permits and main facility designs continues ahead of the Final Investment Decision at the end of 2026. The government also projects the Abadi Masela LNG plant to become one of the largest energy industry centres in eastern Indonesia. The project is expected to encourage the growth of supporting industries, expand business opportunities for SMEs, and create jobs by prioritising local workers from Maluku and the Tanimbar Islands Regency. In addition to strengthening national energy security, the Abadi Masela LNG project is the first LNG project in Indonesia to integrate Carbon Capture and Storage technology from the development stage as part of efforts to support the national energy transition.