Friday, 25 September 2026
North Maluku has attracted attention from European investors because of its important nickel resources and its potential role in the electric vehicle industry. One major plan involves a German company and a French partner developing a large industrial project in the Weda Bay Industrial Park.
The project is valued at around US$2.6 billion, or approximately IDR 38 trillion based on the exchange rate cited by detikFinance. The investment plan involves BASF, a major German chemical company, working together with French mining company Eramet.
A Project Linked to Electric Vehicle Batteries
The planned development is known as the Sonic Bay project. It is located in the Weda Bay Industrial Park in North Maluku.
The project is planned as a nickel and cobalt processing facility using High Pressure Acid Leach, or HPAL, technology. The facility is expected to produce Mixed Hydroxide Precipitates (MHP), a material that can be used as a raw material for electric vehicle battery production.
This makes the project part of a much bigger trend in Indonesia: developing mineral processing industries instead of simply exporting raw materials.
BASF and Eramet Working Together
BASF is a multinational company from Germany, while Eramet is a French company with experience in mining and mineral processing.
According to Indonesia’s Investment Ministry information cited by detikFinance, BASF and Eramet planned to cooperate on the development of the project as part of an electric vehicle battery ecosystem in Indonesia.
The plan also included producing MHP with a proposed capacity of 67,000 tons of nickel per year and 7,500 tons of cobalt per year.
Green Energy and Environmental Considerations
The project was also presented as an investment that would pay attention to environmental considerations and the use of green energy.
This is an important part of the project because mineral processing can require significant amounts of energy. The plan therefore connects the development of the battery supply chain with efforts toward greener industrial activity.
Why North Maluku?
North Maluku has become an important location for Indonesia’s nickel-related industries. The availability of nickel resources and the development of industrial areas make the region relevant to companies looking to build processing facilities.
For Indonesia, projects like this are connected to the broader goal of developing more value-added industries around its natural resources.
德国的投资兴趣
The project also reflects wider economic relations between Germany and Indonesia. According to data cited by detikFinance, Germany ranked 16th among foreign investment sources in Indonesia during the period referenced in the article, with total investment of US$991 million.
The proposed IDR 38 trillion project therefore represents a significant investment plan involving European companies and Indonesia’s mineral-processing sector.
Overall, the Sonic Bay project shows how North Maluku is being considered as part of the global electric vehicle supply chain. If developed as planned, the project would connect nickel and cobalt processing in Indonesia with the production needs of the growing battery industry.
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