Ningde Times Indonesia plant to start production next March

Chinese battery giant Ningde Times (CATL) will start electric vehicle battery production in Indonesia from March 2026, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources confirmed.Ningde Times has found a buyer for its battery products and is preparing to operate as part of Indonesia's growing EV battery ecosystem. The investment will be carried out in two phases due to Chinese government regulatory requirements, with 7.5GWh of the planned 15GWh capacity already approved and the rest of the capacity moving forward after Ningde Times completes the regulatory and financing process. Meanwhile Ningde Times has also raised funds through an initial public offering to achieve the full production target of 15GWh, with the project's timeline and scale advancing as originally planned. Ningde Times' project is a cornerstone of Indonesia's ambition to become a major player in the global EV supply chain, with the Indonesian government seeing it as part of a drive to develop domestic battery and EV production by utilizing the country's abundant nickel reserves. Despite concerns about a slowdown in foreign investment, he said Ningde Times' investment was on schedule, reflecting investors' confidence in Indonesia's EV development plans.