Indonesia, China Discuss EV and Petrochemical Development Cooperation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita discussed cooperation for developing electric vehicles (EVs) and the petrochemical sector with China, considering the large potential benefits of these two sectors for both countries.

On Thursday, June 14, the minister met with China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, during a working visit to Beijing on June 12-13, 2024. On that occasion, he affirmed that the EV industry opportunities in Indonesia are still broad.

This is in line with the government's policy since 2019 that is committed to developing advanced environmentally oriented and low-emission technology, with battery electric vehicles (BEV) as the main priority.

"Out of six BEV industries operating in Indonesia, four are BEV industries from China. This not only showed the trust of Chinese industries in the Indonesian market but also bolstered the economic relations between the two countries," he remarked.

According to Kartasasmita, Indonesia is a strategic choice as a production and export center for EVs, especially right-hand drive vehicles that can be sold to 54 user countries.

Therefore, the ministry is encouraging China's EV industries to increase the automotive industry's contribution to export value through BEVs as well as inviting them to start using Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery cells in the EV industry.

As for the petrochemical industry, he assessed that opportunities for new investment are wide open and profitable, especially for investors who are experienced in this sector.

This is based on the national petrochemical industry's capacity, which currently reaches more than 14 million tons per year, though it is still not able to meet demand in the country.

He, therefore, invited business players in the petrochemical sector to expand their businesses in Indonesia.

"We know that China is one of the global petrochemical players that has succeeded in optimizing various oil and gas and coal resources into superior chemical products," he remarked.

Antara

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