Indonesia uses $10.9 million grant to expand airport serving Morowali nickel hub for EV battery supply chain

Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation received a Rp 177.99 billion ($10.9 million) grant from PT Zhenshi Indonesia Industrial Park to expand Maleo Airport in Central Sulawesi. The project extends the runway by 300 meters, adds safety areas, and plans further upgrades to handle larger aircraft. The goal is to improve transport links to the Morowali industrial area, one of the country's largest nickel processing centers that feeds the electric vehicle battery supply chain. The expansion shows how infrastructure investment is tied to Indonesia's strategy for downstream nickel processing and EV battery production. Better air connectivity supports movement of workers and cargo to the industrial park, which hosts major nickel processing facilities. The project also reflects growing aviation cooperation between Indonesia and China in the context of ASEAN regional air services arrangements. For carbon markets and climate watchers, this is a concrete example of how mineral processing for EV batteries drives real infrastructure spending. The grant from an industrial park operator to a government agency highlights the public-private partnership model behind Indonesia's push to become a key node in the global EV supply chain. The airport upgrades are a practical enabler of low-carbon industry, not just a policy statement.