Jakarta/Sepang. Malaysia and Indonesia are collaborating to develop a lithium-ion battery called the Nusantara Battery, led by NanoMalaysia Berhad through its subsidiary Gigafactory Malaysia Sdn Bhd (GMSB), together with Indonesia’s National Battery Research Institute (NBRI).

The battery was introduced on Wednesday at the fourth ASEAN Battery Technology Conference (ABTC) in Sepang, Malaysia. The Nusantara Battery uses nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry, a mixed-metal oxide commonly used in the cathodes of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The technology is enhanced with graphene and developed in a pouch-cell format.

However, NMB has not yet disclosed details about the battery’s capacity, energy density, or charging characteristics, as the prototypes still need to undergo comprehensive testing.

For the Nusantara Battery project, Malaysia is contributing expertise in battery formulation, graphene technology, and cell development, while Indonesia is contributing expertise in producing NMC active materials.

NMB Group CEO Rezal Khairi Ahmad said developing an ASEAN battery industry would require collaboration among governments, research institutions, manufacturers, investors, standards bodies, and technology providers.

“ASEAN’s strengths should not be directed toward competing against one another, but toward complementing each country’s capabilities to build a more integrated and resilient regional battery value chain,” Rezal said.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb-like structure. It is known for its high strength and electrical and thermal conductivity, making it a material of interest for battery applications.

The development of the Nusantara Battery began with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between NMB and NBRI at ABTC 2025. The partnership covers technology transfer, joint research and innovation, and testing and standardization, as well as education and industrial training.

GMSB’s Graphene Battery Technology
GMSB has previously attracted attention after NMB announced plans to produce graphene-enhanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles on a small scale.

The batteries under development use NMC chemistry, with graphene serving as a substitute for graphite in the anode. The technology has been claimed to increase energy storage capacity by up to three times compared with conventional batteries.

GMSB has targeted annual production of around 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) at its Sepang facility, equivalent to approximately 92,000 battery cells. Small-scale production had previously been targeted to begin in July 2026.

Separately, GMSB has been developing another graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery technology for EVs that it says could deliver a driving range of up to 640 kilometers on a single charge and a full charge in 12 minutes.

It remains unclear whether the Nusantara Battery prototype will achieve the same specifications. NMB has not announced a comparable range or charging time for the new battery.

At ABTC 2026, NMB Group also announced collaborations with Montavista Energy Technologies Corporation, Axium Industries, Milan Utama Sdn Bhd, Neoron Energy Network and Arya Energy Sdn Bhd.

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