Prabowo Vows to Transform Indonesia into an Industrial and Modern Nation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has affirmed the government’s determination to make Indonesia an industrial and modern nation where the people can live well and with dignity.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of the Abadi Masela Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) National Strategic Project via video conference from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, the President said Indonesia needs energy to carry out the nation’s transformation into a productive country capable of producing a wide range of industrial goods.
“I have made plans, 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 and decently,” the President said.
According to Prabowo, Indonesia possesses the natural resources and human resource capacity to realise this ambition.
Prabowo emphasised that the government also requires funding support to build healthcare services, improve the welfare of teachers and civil servants, and construct the infrastructure needed by a modern society.
Therefore, the Head of State stated that strategic projects such as the Abadi Masela LNG play a vital role in supporting national development, including the downstreaming and industrialisation agenda that requires large supplies of energy.
“As such, projects like this are extremely important. I greatly appreciate the launch of this project,” the President said.
The President also stressed 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 guarantee that the people feel the benefits,” Prabowo affirmed.
The groundbreaking marks the start of one of the largest energy investments in Indonesian history and represents a significant milestone in strengthening national energy resilience and promoting equitable development across eastern Indonesia.
The Abadi Masela LNG project is being developed by INPEX Masela Ltd. together with Pertamina and Petronas, with an investment value of approximately US$20.9 billion.
The facility is designed to have a production capacity of 9.5 million tonnes of LNG per year (MTPA), deliver 150 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of domestic piped gas, and produce around 35,000 barrels of condensate per day.
As of early July 2026, progress on the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) had reached 79.56 per cent, exceeding its target, while the completion of various strategic permits and major facility designs continues towards a Final Investment Decision (FID) at the end of 2026.
The government also projects that the Abadi Masela LNG plant will become one of the largest energy industrial centres in eastern Indonesia.
The project is expected to spur the growth of supporting industries, expand business opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and create jobs prioritising local workers from Maluku and the Tanimbar Islands Regency.
In addition to strengthening national energy resilience, Abadi Masela is the first LNG project in Indonesia to integrate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology from the development stage, as part of efforts to support the national energy transition.