# CATL and Antam start battery cell production in Indonesia *The 6.9-gigawatt-hour Karawang plant marks the first manufacturing stage of a $5.9 billion venture linking local nickel mines to finished electric vehicle cells.* **Published:** October 30, 2026 **By:** Lian Chen **Section:** Batteries & Electric Vehicles — China **Format:** Breaking **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/batteries-ev/catl-antam-start-battery-cell-production-indonesia-1003 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - CATL and Antam start cell production at 6.9 GWh Karawang factory - CATL holds 70% of PT CATIB within a $5.9 billion integrated nickel venture - Official presidential inauguration scheduled to follow ministerial confirmation in November ![Workers assemble battery cells along an automated conveyor line equipped with robotic arms. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-29-ce883dd8c6a9.webp) *Workers assemble battery cells along an automated conveyor line equipped with robotic arms. (AI-generated image)* Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed Oct. 29, 2026, that CATL and PT Aneka Tambang have started producing battery cells at their Karawang joint venture facility. The ministerial statement followed a briefing with President Prabowo Subianto at the presidential palace in Jakarta. Lahadalia said the head of state will preside over a formal commissioning ceremony in the coming weeks. The factory in West Java represents a $1.2 billion capital outlay. It provides an initial capacity of 6.9 gigawatt-hours per year, accounting for about 46% of the site's planned 15-gigawatt-hour long-term installation target. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited controls the manufacturing site through PT Contemporary Amperex Technology Indonesia Battery. CATL's overseas investment unit, Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend, holds a 70% equity stake in the operational entity. State-owned mining house PT Aneka Tambang, known as Antam, and Indonesia Battery Corporation hold the remaining 30% consortium stake. The facility anchors the downstream segment of the $5.9 billion Indonesia Battery Integration Project. The initial cell output confirms that Chinese battery manufacturers are locking down operating assets across Southeast Asia. The plant pairs Chinese cell fabrication technology directly with Indonesian mineral reserves. The Karawang site initiated preliminary trial operations in July, Lahadalia said. The minister used the Oct. 29 press briefing to confirm that the assembly lines are now producing functional electric vehicle battery cells. Neither CATL nor Antam submitted formal disclosure filings to stock exchanges in Shenzhen or Jakarta on Oct. 29. The verification came exclusively through Lahadalia's post-cabinet remarks to reporters. The Karawang plant broke ground on June 29, 2025, at the Artha Industrial Hill industrial complex. Construction and commissioning to initial cell output required 16 months. The cell facility relies on an integrated upstream supply chain across eastern Indonesia. Antam and CATL are developing nickel mining concessions in East Halmahera in North Maluku Province to supply raw feedstocks. The upstream complex includes high-pressure acid leach units designed to yield 55,000 metric tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate annually. Those refining facilities provide the nickel intermediate feedstocks required for cathode synthesis. Securing localized cell manufacturing gives CATL direct access to nickel supplies outside Chinese borders. For Jakarta, the plant delivers the industrial downstreaming mandate championed by the central government. The operating line also tightens commercial pressure on competing regional battery consortia. South Korea's LG Energy Solution operates an adjacent 10-gigawatt-hour joint-venture battery facility in Karawang with Hyundai Motor Group. The CATL and Antam venture expands total localized cell capacity in West Java to nearly 17 gigawatt-hours. The expanded regional footprint positions Karawang as the primary battery manufacturing center in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The venture plans to double cell capacity to 15 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030. That volume could supply between 250,000 and 300,000 all-electric passenger vehicles annually, according to project specifications. CATL plans to deploy its automated production architecture at Karawang to manage operational yields. The manufacturing standard uses real-time defect tracking and predictive machine maintenance to minimize scrap rates. The Karawang plant will produce both passenger vehicle cells and stationary energy storage modules. Indonesia plans to install localized storage systems alongside planned utility solar projects. The broader six-stage supply chain plan spans 3,023 hectares across West Java and North Maluku. The overall venture includes rotary kiln electric furnaces, cathode precursor lines and an end-of-life battery recycling unit. The project plans to establish recycling facilities capable of processing 20,000 metric tons of scrap cells annually. That installation will use hydrometallurgical recovery systems developed by CATL subsidiary Guangdong Brunp Recycling Technology. The legal framework governing the joint venture requires PT CATIB to source intermediate chemicals locally as processing lines in North Maluku enter commercial operation. Antam supplies the underlying mining concessions. The Indonesian government has not published a confirmed calendar date for the presidential inauguration ceremony, and exchange disclosures have not identified which electric vehicle makers will receive the initial production run. Commercial operations at the Karawang lines will proceed through standard quality verification protocols ahead of the scheduled presidential dedication ceremony in November. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Karawang battery cell production | LG Energy Solution faces local capacity competition from CATL in West Java | CATL secures captive nickel supply base and 6.9 GWh Southeast Asian manufacturing hub | Japanese automakers in Indonesia face pressure to adopt localized Chinese-Indonesian cell packs | Integrated nickel-to-cell value chain lowers production costs for regional EV assembly | ## In this story - **Companies:** Contemporary Amperex Technology, PT Aneka Tambang - **Tickers:** 300750.SZ, ANTM.JK - **Exposed:** LG Energy Solution, Hyundai Motor - **Policy:** Local Content Rules - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Capex, Order Book ## Primary sources 1. jakartaglobe.id 2. cnbcindonesia.com 3. sirkularium.com 4. tirto.id 5. suara.com --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "CATL and Antam start battery cell production in Indonesia," October 30, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/batteries-ev/catl-antam-start-battery-cell-production-indonesia-1003