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View all search resultsRI continues lithium hunt amid plan to boost Australian imports
Lithium, a key component in EV batteries, is the missing piece in Indonesia’s otherwise rich portfolio of battery materials, which already includes cobalt, nickel and manganese.
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A worker installs the battery of a Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric car on April 6, 2023, at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (HMMI) assembly plant in Cikarang, West Java. (JP/Rachmat Kurniawan)
I
ndonesia is continuing its search for domestic lithium reserves as the government moves ahead with plans to import the critical mineral from Australia.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is spearheading exploration efforts, with particular attention on Bledug Kuwu in Grobogan Regency, Central Java, in partnership with French mining company Eramet. Both parties announced a collaboration on new mineral deposits on May 6 last year.
“[For] lithium, we’re still searching. We’re continuing to search,” Muhammad Wafid, head of the ministry’s Geological Agency, said on Thursday, as reported by Bisnis. He noted that research in the area had been going on for years and that optimism remained high for a breakthrough.
Lithium, a key component in electric vehicle batteries, is the missing piece in Indonesia’s otherwise rich portfolio of battery materials, which already includes cobalt, nickel and manganese. Without domestic reserves, the government has turned to imports to meet demand.
According to official data, Indonesia imports around 80,000 tonnes of lithium annually from Australia, processing it at the Morowali industrial estate, a key hub in the nation’s expanding EV battery sector.
The government is now considering increasing these imports to further strengthen the industry, a topic discussed during the evaluation of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).
In addition to Australia, Indonesia is also strengthening ties with China, the global leader in lithium processing, to ensure a steady supply of refined lithium and to support the technology transfer for its growing EV battery industry.
