Indonesia launches silica downstreaming roadmap
Monday, December 15 2025 - 08:53 AM WIB
By Romel S. Gurky
The Ministry of Industry has launched the Silica Downstreaming Roadmap 2025–2045 as part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen industrial development and increase domestic value added from mineral resources.
The roadmap was prepared by the Directorate General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industries (IKFT) and is aligned with the government’s Asta Cita policy agenda. The ministry said the roadmap is intended to support long-term economic growth, including the government’s target of achieving gross domestic product growth of 8% by 2029.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said silica downstreaming is expected to strengthen Indonesia’s industrial structure and increase the economic value of silica-based resources. According to the ministry, downstream development is also expected to contribute to job creation, investment growth and the development of related sectors.
Data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources show Indonesia has silica sand reserves of about 7.8 billion tonnes, quartz stone reserves of 24.8 million tonnes and quartzite resources of approximately 1.65 billion tonnes. The Ministry of Industry said these resources provide a basis for developing an integrated domestic silica industry.
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IKFT Director General Taufiek Bawazier said downstream processing could significantly increase the value of silica. He noted that processing silica into solar-grade silicon wafers could increase its value by up to 1,300 times, and further processing into electronic-grade silicon wafers could raise its value by up to 27 times.
The roadmap outlines phased development of silica-based industries through 2045, covering the value chain from metallurgical-grade silicon to polysilicon. It also includes plans to develop 10 supporting industrial estates and to apply green industry principles in 10 industrial companies.
According to the ministry, implementation of the roadmap will require reliable raw material supply, sufficient energy availability, secure offtake arrangements and supportive regulations. Coordination among government agencies, the central bank, industry associations and businesses is identified as a key requirement.
The roadmap sets out a long-term vision to develop silica-based intermediate industries to support the domestic solar panel and semiconductor sectors, with the aim of improving competitiveness and reducing reliance on raw material exports.
Editing by Alexander Ginting