Jakarta Sets September 2026 Groundbreaking for Giant Sea Wall

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Pramono Anung says Jakarta plans to start groundbreaking for the Giant Sea Wall in September 2026 in Jakarta as the provincial government awaits final direction from the central government, a move expected to strengthen long-term coastal protection and economic resilience.

Pramono said Jakarta was prepared to execute whichever mandate was assigned, after the project scope for the capital expanded from 12 kilometers to 19 kilometers of sea wall coverage along the northern coast.

“Regarding the Giant Sea Wall, the Jakarta government is fully waiting for direction from the central government,” Pramono said on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026, during the groundbreaking of the MRT Harmoni station entrance in Central Jakarta.

“Previously Jakarta was assigned 12 kilometers, but it was later expanded by seven kilometers to 19 kilometers, and whether it is 12 or 19 kilometers, Jakarta is ready to carry it out,” he added.

While waiting for the Giant Sea Wall to commence, Pramono said the city administration was prioritizing the completion of the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development project, or NCICD, along Jakarta’s northern shoreline.

“Right now, what Jakarta itself is building is NCICD, especially the coastal embankments along the northern beaches,” Pramono said.

He noted that the Ancol phase of NCICD had been completed and was entering a beautification stage, with a focus on integrating green open spaces rather than purely concrete structures.

“I asked that these structures not be just walls or concrete, but also include parks,” he said.

Earlier, Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Kadin Indonesia, expressed conditional support for the Giant Sea Wall and the Jakarta–Surabaya high-speed rail project, stressing the importance of economic feasibility and transparent calculations.

Kadin Deputy Chair for Infrastructure and Regional Development Carmelita Hartoto said on Thursday, Nov 13, 2025, that large-scale projects of this magnitude would likely require consortia and foreign investor participation.

“We support it as long as the rules and the economic calculations are sound, so it does not become another debt problem like the high-speed rail before,” Hartoto said after a national coordination meeting in Jakarta.

She added that Kadin had not committed to direct involvement, citing the need for clearer investment calculations before business participation could be assessed.

The government has also taken a cautious stance, with Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono warning against rushing the project without thorough studies.

“This project is meant to protect around 50 million people along the northern coast of Java from tidal flooding and land subsidence, and it must be carried out with careful calculation,” AHY said in Jakarta on Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025.

President Prabowo Subianto has estimated the Giant Sea Wall would require up to $80 billion in investment and take 15 to 20 years to complete, with construction in Jakarta Bay alone expected to span eight to ten years.

Prabowo said the structure, stretching up to 535 kilometers from Banten to East Java, was critical to safeguarding industrial zones, agricultural land, and coastal communities from rising sea levels.