President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that he expects the green industrial area in North Kalimantan to become the largest in the world once it is expanded to 30 thousand hectares. The industrial area was originally planned to be developed on 13 thousand hectares of land.
“We expect (the green industrial park) to become the largest green industrial area in the world,” the President said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Indonesian Green Industrial Zone, Bulungan, North Kalimantan, on Tuesday.
Many products would emerge from the green industrial area in North Kalimantan, he added. The green industrial area will also draw investors from China and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to Indonesian investors, he added.
“Everything will emerge from this North Kalimantan’s industrial area and this is a great collaboration between Indonesia, Indonesian investors, investors from China, from the United Arab Emirates. All of them will join,” the President said.
The green industrial area will use the latest technology, he informed. The products it will produce will include sodium ion, lithium-ion, semi-conductors, and petrochemicals, which can produce textile derivative products, he said.
“Green aluminum, solar panels, industrial silicon will emerge from here,” Widodo added.
The President estimated that 200 thousand new jobs would be generated by the green industrial area.
The development of the green industrial area also marks the transformation of Indonesia’s economy, he noted. This transformation is expected to change the structure of the Indonesian economy, which for years has relied on the export of raw materials, into a downstream industry so that the exported commodities will be semi-finished goods.
The groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday was also attended by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Minister of Investment/head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Minister of Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung, chairman of the Indonesian Consortium, Garibaldi Thohir, and other officials.
The President had earlier said that the outlook for the global economy will depend heavily on green economic activities that prioritize sustainable growth.
Indonesia has abundant green economic wealth, such as energy from water (hydropower), geothermal energy, and wind energy resources, as well as from underwater currents and solar power, he added.
Indonesia has 4,400 rivers as hydropower resources, Widodo highlighted. Thus, in the near future, the government will focus on energy production from water resources, starting from the Kayan River in North Kalimantan and Mamberamo River in Papua, he informed.
“Kayan River can yield about 13 thousand MW, while Mamberamo can approximately generate 24 thousand MW. Only two rivers can produce a total of 37 thousand MW. (Imagine how much) 4,400 rivers can result in the green economy,” he remarked.
If accumulated, Indonesia’s energy wealth, classified as renewable energy (EBT), would amount to 418 GW, he pointed out.
“If we manage the energy potential from geothermal, wind, underwater currents, and solar cells through consistency and courage, then we can make a breakthrough, and (energy) can be our economic strength going forward,” the President remarked.
Source: Antara News