Jokowi plans to ban the export of quartz sand. This ban is made because quartz sand will be used in RI as an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, where it is very useful for making solar panels. This program should be completed by 2027.
President Jokowi’s policy will harm the industry in China considering that China is also an importer of quartz sand from Indonesia for its solar panel manufacturing industry. Based on government calculations, quartz sand apparently has around 60,000 derivatives that have added value.
“In 2027, the EV ecosystem must be completed. We will also ban exports of all downstream including quartz sand. If I have counted quartz sand, there are 60,000 derivatives, there will be a big added value,” said President Jokowi at the State Palace, quoted from CNBC.
The ban on the export of quartz sand will benefit other countries that dominate the world market plus small-medium class players such as Germany, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Egypt, the Netherlands, China and Vietnam because they will have a windfall by immediately taking up the Indonesian export market segment.
Building State Industry
Director General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Dadan Kusdiana said that Indonesia will build a domestic solar panel factory. One of the predicted areas is Bangka Belitung.
Bangka Belitung is considered the right location to build a solar panel factory because it has quartz sand. Indonesia will not only build one solar panel factory. Later, there will be several types of solar panel factories to be built in Indonesia.
Source: CNBC
