Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Thursday that the electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, owned by South Korean companies Hyundai and LG in the West Java town of Karawang, will become the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The factory, operated by the joint venture company Hyundai LG Industry (HLI) Green Power, is scheduled to commence production early next year.

"HLI Green Power will initiate production next year with a capacity of 30 million battery cells, sufficient for the production of approximately 180,000 electric vehicles. This factory is not only the first of its kind but also the largest in Southeast Asia at the moment," the president said during his visit to the factory.

The presence of this factory aligns with the government's ambition to position Indonesia as the largest electric vehicle ecosystem in the region and a significant player in the global EV supply chain, Jokowi said.

"Once we integrate into the global supply chain, other countries will rely on us for battery cell supplies," he added.

Accompanying the president during the visit, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that HLI has initiated production trials at the factory, which was constructed two years ago.

"Two years ago, we broke ground on this factory for EV battery production. Currently, production is in the trial-and-error phase, but starting from March next year, actual production will commence," Bahlil said.

He also noted that upon completion, the factory will have an installed capacity of 30 GWh.

"We have long aspired for an EV battery factory in Indonesia, and now, by the grace of God, we have it," the minister said. He added that approximately 100 Indonesian workers have been sent to South Korea to acquire the necessary skills in EV battery production before being employed at the factory.

During the president's visit, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan and South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Sang Deok were also in attendance.