Heaptalk, Jakarta — According to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Indonesia has been importing 80,000 tons of lithium from Australia.
In a press statement on Thursday (05/15), Airlangga explained that Australia supplies Indonesia with lithium and manganese, which are processed in the country’s industrial zones, particularly in Morowali. “Australia has lithium and manganese. Currently, Indonesia imports around 80,000 tons of lithium from Australia, which is then processed in our industrial areas like Morowali,” he stated.
Indonesia requires 70,000 tons of lithium annually to produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries, a demand currently met through imports from Australia. Airlangga added, “The annual demand is approximately 70,000 tons of lithium. Since we have smelters in Morowali, we can process it domestically.”
While Indonesia has abundant nickel reserves for EV battery production, it still lacks sufficient lithium resources. By importing from the country, the government ensures access to both critical materials. “For batteries, we now have both lithium-based and nickel-based materials. This means we possess both key components,” he emphasized.
The government is exploring opportunities to increase lithium imports from Australia, depending on the capacity of Indonesia’s domestic EV battery plants. Airlangga noted that sufficient lithium supplies would strengthen Indonesia’s efforts to produce EV batteries, complementing its existing nickel resources.
