Malaysia and Indonesia have jointly developed a lithium-ion battery called the Nusantara Battery. Leveraging the strengths of both countries, the effort is being spearheaded by NanoMalaysia Bhd (NMB) through its subsidiary Gigafactory Malaysia Sdn Bhd (GMSB) and Indonesia’s National Battery Research Institute (NBRI).
Officially revealed during the ongoing 4th ASEAN Battery Technology Conference (ABTC) in Sepang, the Nusantara Battery is a graphene-infused NMC lithium-ion pouch cell battery. Two prototypes were shown on stage, but specific details such as energy densities, capacities, and charging characteristics have not yet been revealed as the prototypes have not gone through full testing just yet.
Nevertheless, NMB said that Malaysia’s contribution to the Nusantara Battery’s development comes through its expertise in battery formulation, graphene technology, and cell development. On the other hand, Indonesia participated in the project with vast experience in NMC active-material production – after all, Indonesia is known to hold the world’s largest nickel reserves.
NMB and NBRI are also using the Nusantara Battery to highlight the potential of collaboration in battery technology and production among ASEAN members:
“No single organisation can build a competitive battery industry alone. Success depends on strong partnerships across governments, research institutions, manufacturers, investors, standards bodies, and technology providers.
It also requires us to recognise that ASEAN’s greatest strength lies not in competing against one another, but in complementing one another’s capabilities to build a more integrated and resilient regional battery value chain,” – Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad, CEO, NMB Group.
The development of the Nusantara Battery was set in motion through an MoU that both parties signed at ABTC 2025. The memorandum established the framework involving technology transfer, joint research and innovation, testing and standardisation, education, and industrial training.
GMSB recently made its way into the headlines after Dr Rezal revealed in a media interview that the subsidiary of NMB is kicking off small-scale commercial production of a graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery. He also pointed out that a battery pack with GMSB battery cells can help an EV achieve a driving range of up to 640km and can be fully charged in just 12 minutes.
At this year’s ABTC, NMB Group has announced several collaborations with the likes of Montavista Energy Technologies Corporation, Axium Industries, Milan Utama Sdn Bhd, Neoron Energy Network, and Arya Energy Sdn Bhd.
