Indonesia power utility PT PLN is committed to providing reliable electricity for the operation of the lithium anode battery factory in the Kendal Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Central Java, which was recently inaugurated by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
The president said that the operation of the lithium anode factory in Kendal SEZ is an important step in accelerating the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country. The factory is expected to produce 80 thousand tons of anode material per year, which is equivalent to 1.5 million electric cars.
“It is huge, especially if it is combined with the 80 thousand tons of production in this industry, which means 3 million electric cars produced per year. A very large production figure that will make us (Indonesia) the largest supplier, both in (electric vehicle) batteries and electric vehicles,” the President said in a statement on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said that PLN will supply electricity for the development of the industrial ecosystem in Kendal SEZ, suggesting that Kendal SEZ will play a major role in the development of the country’s industry, especially for downstream mineral industry.
Darmawan added that PLN’s commitment is in line with the government’s vision of boosting industrial downstreaming to increase Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through increasing the selling value of mineral product commodities.
“PLN plays a strategic role in supporting the operation of this plant by ensuring stable electricity supply. We would like to ensure that our entire electricity system is able to answer the electricity needs of industries in Kendal SEZ,” he said.
General Manager of PLN’s Central Java and Yogyakarta Distribution Unit , Mochamad Soffin Hadi said that in order to supply reliable electricity to Kendal SEZ, PLN has connected electricity with a total power of 99.19 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA). In addition, PLN has also supplied electricity of 2 x 15.5 MVA to the battery factory and will add a supply of 2 x 15.5 MVA in December 2024 for the second phase of factory operation.
