RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - PT Contemporary Amperex Technology Indonesia Battery (CATIB) is targeting its electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in Karawang, West Java, to begin operations in the third quarter of 2026, with the company seeking to accelerate the schedule from September to July 2026.

CATIB Director of Corporate Public Affairs Bayu Hermawan conveyed this during a hearing session with the House of Representatives Commission XII in Jakarta on Monday, February 2, 2026.

“Insyaallah, we are targeting to be operational in Q3 2026,” Bayu said.

He explained that the EV battery factory will have a production capacity of 6.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and an investment value of approximately IDR 7 trillion. The facility will produce batteries for both electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

“The products to be manufactured are batteries for electric vehicles and batteries for energy storage systems. This will support a green ecosystem and environmentally friendly transportation, both in Indonesia and the global market,” Bayu said.

As part of its environmental commitment, CATIB will use an 18 MWh solar power plant to support factory operations. The facility is also expected to employ approximately 3,000 workers upon commencement of operations.

Bayu added that the company is conducting knowledge transfer by sending several employees to China for training. CATIB is also supporting the regional economy through partnerships with micro, small, and medium enterprises.

The battery factory project is part of the Integrated Electric Vehicle Battery Industry Ecosystem Consortium, which includes state-owned mining firm PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam), Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), and CBL, a subsidiary of CATL. 

President Prabowo Subianto previously officiated the groundbreaking ceremony at the Artha Industrial Hills area in Karawang on June 29, 2025.

According to Bayu, by January 2026, construction of basic infrastructure was complete, and the project had entered the phase of installing production equipment and completing supporting facilities.

“We hope there will be additional support going forward so that Indonesia can become a center of gravity for the battery industry,” he said. ​(Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)