The government plans to establish an electric vehicle (EV) battery research center in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. This was announced by the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, during his speech at the International Battery Summit in Jakarta on Monday, July 29, 2024.

"We will have our own research center. Currently, it seems that Prof. Kartini (founder of the National Battery Research Institute) already has such research, but we (the government) want to create a larger research center in Morowali," said Luhut.

The construction of this EV battery research center aims to position Indonesia as an active player in the development of electric vehicles, which have recently gained popularity. Luhut hopes that this research center will be a stepping stone for the electric vehicle industry in the country.

Therefore, Luhut invites all relevant institutions to collaborate and become part of the development of this research center in Morowali. These institutions include various prominent universities in Indonesia.

To achieve this goal, Luhut mentioned that the government is also sending dozens of young people abroad to study electric vehicle batteries. A total of 42 youths have been sent to China for this purpose.

Additionally, the government is inviting several researchers from China to come to Morowali to help develop the EV battery research center.

Indonesia has also established a recycling industry for electric motorcycle and car batteries in Morowali. According to him, EV battery recycling is an important part of building a green industry, one that respects environmental sustainability.