Weda Bay Sees $15 Billion Investments to Nickel Downstreaming and Green Industry Zones
Key Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — PT Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park, a key hub for nickel processing in eastern Indonesia, has secured Rp240 trillion ($15 billion) in investments to develop its integrated industrial zone and bolster the country’s electric vehicle (EV) supply chain.
Scott Ye, Director of IWIP, said the investments have been committed through early 2025, underscoring Indonesia’s rising prominence in the global battery and EV ecosystem. “IWIP continues to play a critical role in the nickel downstreaming agenda by integrating upstream to downstream operations in Weda Bay,” he said during a media visit in Central Halmahera, North Maluku, on Saturday.
The Weda Bay Industrial Park is home to investors from Indonesia, China, France, Australia, India, South Korea, and Taiwan, reflecting growing global confidence in Indonesia’s industrial transformation.
IWIP has also outlined a new investment roadmap worth $8 billion to strengthen three strategic sectors: EV battery production, renewable energy, and electrolytic aluminum smelting.
Battery Materials and EV Infrastructure
The largest portion of this expansion, valued at $5 billion, will fund the development of facilities to produce key EV battery components, including Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP), Nickel Sulfate (NiSO₄), Cobalt Sulfate (CoSO₄), and Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM). The company plans to begin production between 2025 and 2026, with an EV battery unit, electric truck plant, and heavy equipment manufacturing line targeted to launch by December 2025.
Green Energy for Industrial Growth
An additional $2 billion will support renewable energy projects, including a 2-gigawatt solar power plant (PLTS) and a 500-megawatt wind power plant (PLTB). These facilities will be developed in stages to ensure low-carbon electricity supply across the industrial zone.
Lightweight Materials for Clean Tech
The third project, worth $1 billion, will establish an electrolytic aluminum smelter. The facility is expected to begin production by October 1, 2025, using renewable power to reduce emissions in producing lightweight aluminum materials essential for EV structures, battery components, and clean energy infrastructure.
“This development not only positions Indonesia more firmly within the global EV supply chain but also marks IWIP’s evolution into a high-tech, sustainable, and clean-energy-integrated industrial zone,” said Ye.
IWIP is one of Indonesia’s designated National Strategic Projects under the 2020–2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), aligning with the government’s push to industrialize natural resources while achieving green growth goals.