China’s $180 Billion Clean Tech Push Reshapes the Global South

China’s $180 billion clean tech push is reshaping the Global South, with Indonesia a key test of who controls new green industries.
File image of a worker cleaning solar panels installed on the roof of the traditional Gedhe market in Klaten, Central Java. China’s $180 billion clean tech push is reshaping the Global South, with Indonesia a key test of who controls new green industries. (Photo: DEVI RAHMAN / AFP)

Indonesia has become a key test case of China’s clean-energy expansion overseas. A recent report counts about $22.6 billion in Chinese-linked projects have been announced there over the past two years, including EV-parts and solar factories.

A flagship $6 billion CATL-backed battery complex in West Java aims to cover the full chain from nickel mining to recycling. Initial output is designed of 6.9 GWh a year. Jakarta wants to be among the world’s top three battery producers by 2027. The country also aims to reach 140 gigawatt-hours of annual capacity by 2030. The plan is to use nickel reserves and local-content rules to build domestic industry.

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by Edwin Shri Bimo

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