State-owned gold and nickel miner Aneka Tambang (Antam), along with holding company Mind ID, or Inalum, reportedly will hold a meeting with US EV maker Tesla to discuss the construction of an energy storage system (ESS) and lithium battery plant in Indonesia.
Antam’s senior VP Kunto Hendrapawoko said that the firm will, together with Mind ID, support the government’s goal to maximize the value of its strategic commodities, such as nickel. “The company is always open for strategic partnerships,” Hendrapawoko told Tempo on Monday.
The alliance aims to develop profitable national and international projects, he said, by seeking partners with access to technology and markets, and with sufficient funding to increase the production of processed mineral products from reserves owned by Antam and Mind ID.
Septian Hario Seto, deputy for investment and mining coordination at the Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investments, announced on Friday that Tesla would submit their business proposal for an energy storage system and electric vehicle battery plant in Indonesia.
The system is able to store electricity at a large scale, reaching hundreds of megawatts. Septian explained that it will supply homes or industries during peak times when energy demand far surpasses supply.
Tesla’s engagement in Indonesia will therefore not be limited to raw materials. The partners aim to export the storage system to many other countries. “If they [Tesla] only want to take [our] raw materials, then we are not interested [in forming a partnership],” Septian added.
This article first appeared in Tempo.