Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Ltd (CATL) has commenced production at its newly built electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Indonesia, ahead of its official inauguration by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, which is scheduled for later this month, according to local reports.

Construction of the facility, located in Karawang, West Java Province, began in June 2025.

The US$ 6 billion facility is controlled by Contemporary Amperex Technology Indonesia Battery (CATIB), a joint venture between CATL, Indonesian mining company Aneka Tambang (Antam) and Industri Baterai Indonesia (Indonesia Battery Corporation). The latter was established by the Indonesian government to help develop an integrated EV battery and clean energy ecosystem in the country.

The battery plant has an initial annual production capacity of 6.9 GWh in its first phase, with plans to increase this to 15 GWh. CATL claims that the facility is highly automated, with robots carrying out 80 per cent of its production processes.

Most of the initial output is expected to be supplied to Indonesia's expanding domestic EV assembly industry, which primarily produces Chinese-branded vehicles. The locally manufactured batteries are expected to help these automakers meet the country's minimum local content requirements.

CATIB is the third EV battery plant to commence operations in Indonesia, following Hyundai's facility in Karawang and REPT Battero Indonesia's plant in Halmahera, North Maluku Province. The latter is owned by REPT Battero Energy Company, a subsidiary of China's Tsingshan Group.