PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the government's plans regarding the electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem in Indonesia. One of the ways the company is contributing is through the development of coal conversion technology into Artificial Graphite and Anode Sheets.

The President Director of PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), Arsal Ismail, stated that the company will continue to support one of the government's programs related to energy self-sufficiency, particularly the coal downstreaming program.

"In the future, PTBA will contribute to the EV battery ecosystem, particularly by providing anode materials to help the government reduce imports and save foreign exchange" he said during the Awarding Night CNBC Indonesia, quoted on Friday (December 27, 2024).

Previously, the Director of Portfolio and Business Development at MIND ID, Dilo Seno Widagdo, mentioned that PTBA already has a prototype and is currently preparing for pilot-scale production.

"Today, we have already created the prototype, and now we are building the pilot scale. We have partnered with CATL for the cathode material, and for the anode, we are using BRIN's materials, so it's for the 18650 battery" said Dilo in Jakarta on Tuesday (October 15, 2024).

However, Dilo acknowledged that there are still some quality challenges regarding the conductivity and density of the anode material, which do not yet meet international standards. Therefore, the construction of the pilot-scale facility aims to improve these qualities.

"I'm still not satisfied with the results. The conductivity and density are still not up to international standards, so this really needs to be improved. That's why we're building the pilot scale to help improve the quality" he said.