Jakarta(VNA) – Indonesia’s state-owned oil company PT Pertamina (Persero) and otherstate enterprises that are part of Indonesia Battery Holding (IBH) are currentlyfocusing efforts towards developing an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in theSoutheast Asian country.

In addition, they areworking towards accelerating the development of the EV battery industry in thecountry.

Battery industries that have big potential in Indonesia are those for mobility, especially two wheels (vehicles) that grew faster than four wheels, Indonesian news agency Antara quoted President Director of Pertamina Nicke Widyawati as saying.

Pertamina will ensurethat the stages in the development of the EV battery ecosystem run smoothly,she said.

This year, Pertamina andthree state enterprises will establish a joint venture called Indonesia BatteryCorporation (IBC), she said, adding that the state-owned company has workedjointly with two global firms and is eyeing further cooperation with othercompanies in the sector, she added.

Another potential areafor the battery industry in Indonesia is energy storage systems (ESS), withadequate supply sourced from solar power plants (PLTS).

Pertamina has establisheda PLTS in Badak refinery in East Kalimantan, with a capacity of 4 megawatts(MW), she said. Other PLTS projects will be built at other Pertamina oilrefinery sites, including Dumai in Riau, Cilacap in Central Java, and SeiMangkei in North Sumatra, she said.

By the end of 2020,Pertamina had installed solar rooftops at 63 gas stations (SPBU). Thisinitiative will be expanded next year to cover all Pertamina gas stations andother operational facilities across the country, she added.

In a bid to develop theEV battery ecosystem and industry, three state enterprises will carry out sevenkey stages, namely mining, refining, precursor plant, cathode plant, batterycell, battery pack, and recycling, she said.

Pertamina will beresponsible for four stages — precursor plant, cathode plant, battery cell, andbattery pack./.