Prabowo to Inaugurate CATL-IBC EV Battery Plant in Karawang
Prabowo Subianto will soon inaugurate Indonesia’s third electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Karawang, West Java, a project representing a total investment of US$ 1,2 miliar setara Rp 21,19 triliun (asumsi kurs Rp 17.662 per US$), according to announcements made by officials on October 29, 2026.
Karawang Facility Reaches Production Phase
The manufacturing plant, managed by PT Contemporary Amperex Technology Indonesia Battery (CATIB)—a joint venture between the Indonesia Battery Corporation and CBL, a subsidiary of China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited—has already commenced operations. Construction on the site within Artha Industrial Hill and Karawang New Industry City began with a ceremony on June 29, 2025, presided over by President Prabowo. The plant reached its production phase in July 2026, marking a 13-month build cycle from the start of construction to active manufacturing.
The facility commands a production capacity of 15 GWh, designed to supply power packs for roughly 250,000 electric vehicles. Industrial data from the Ministry of Industry cited by Bisnis indicates that other domestic operations vary significantly in scale, such as PT HLI Green Power holding a 10 GWh cell production capacity, while commercial entities like PT BYD Auto Indonesia assemble up to 150,000 battery packages per year. The newly operational Karawang plant stands alongside two other major EV battery facilities in the country: the Hyundai partnership and a separate Chinese-backed operation in Halmahera.
Integration Across the Domestic Supply Chain
Minister of Coordinating for Downstreaming and Energy Transition Bahlil Lahadalia stated during an Istana Kepresidenan briefing on October 29, 2026, that the additions cement an integrated national supply chain. Ekosistem baterai mobil kita ini betul-betul sudah terintegrasi antara mining, smelter, HPAL, prekursor, katoda, sampai battery cell,
Bahlil noted, emphasizing that the vertical integration stretches from raw mineral extraction through smelting, high-pressure acid leaching, and precursor manufacturing up to final battery cell assembly.
CNBC Indonesia noted that the broader institutional push includes a parallel US$ 600 juta atau setara Rp 10,59 triliun material project being developed by IBC and CATL in Halmahera.
Rural Electrification Rollout Scheduled for Sulawesi
Alongside the upcoming industrial inauguration, the administration scheduled a concurrent rollout of the 2025 rural electrification program. President Prabowo will travel to Sulawesi within the immediate timeframe to inaugurate approximately 1,400 electrified locations across 13 distinct points.