PBT to build local battery materials plant with US$ 350 million investment
antaranews.com, 3 Jul '26
The Australian battery materials processing technology company Pure Battery Technologies (PBT) is planning to develop a precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM) facility in Indonesia, with an estimated investment of US$ 350 million.
Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, Todotua Pasaribu, and PBT Chairman Stephen Wilmot discussed the investment plan at the Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre (IIPC) in Sydney, Australia.
In a statement received in Jakarta on July 2nd, Pasaribu said the Australian company is seeking to develop a pCAM industry using Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) sourced from domestic High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) facilities.
"Indonesia already has HPAL facilities and will soon begin manufacturing battery cells. The missing supply chains are pCAM and cathodes. This is where investments from companies such as Pure Battery Technologies would contribute to the development of a battery ecosystem," Pasaribu said.
He further added that the investment would contribute to the national battery value chain, spanning nickel mining, MHP processing, pCAM and cathode production, as well as battery cell manufacturing.
The project is expected to contribute to Indonesia's electric vehicle (EV) industry. The Indonesian government views pCAM investments as important for addressing a midstream gap in the battery supply chain and increasing the domestic value addition of the country's nickel reserves.
At present, battery precursor manufacturing remains underdeveloped in Indonesia, despite being one of the higher-value segments of the nickel industry. IIPC Sydney Director Leidy Surianingrat said her office would support the investment process by facilitating coordination between the Australian company and Indonesian stakeholders.
"IIPC Sydney is committed to facilitating Pure Battery Technologies' investment journey in Indonesia by connecting the company with relevant government bodies and strategic partners, and supporting the subsequent steps towards project realisation," Surianingrat said.
In addition to the investment plan, the meeting also covered the establishment of PBT's legal entity in Indonesia, potential locations for the production facility, financing schemes, and opportunities for strategic partnerships within the nickel mining and processing sectors.
