‘Largest’ Polysilicon Production Plant Outside China

• GCL Technology is exploring the UAE to establish a polysilicon production plant 
• It will explore building a local integrated silicon ecosystem with Mubadala  
• Annual production capacity is not yet known for what they say will be the UAE's 1st polysilicon fab 

Leading Chinese polysilicon producer GCL Technology Holdings Limited is collaborating with Mubadala Investment Company PJSC to build what it says will be the world's largest production base for the polysilicon industry outside China in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The duo has not disclosed the annual production capacity of the prospective fab. 

Through its wholly-owned subsidiary GCL Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, GCL recently signed a joint collaboration agreement with Mubadala, the state-owned investment vehicle of the Government of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.  

Mubadala has entered the collaboration through its wholly-owned subsidiary MDC POWER HOLDING COMPANY LLC, which will act as the local industrial and financial player. 

GCL Suzhou will bring its experience as an industrial leader in the polysilicon value chain to the table to develop UAE's 1st polysilicon manufacturing facility.   

Both partners will explore potential collaboration opportunities to 'localize an integrated silicon ecosystem in the UAE.'    

GCL has been eyeing the Middle East as a potential location to expand its polysilicon manufacturing footprint for quite some time now. In September 2023, it was in talks with the Saudi Arabian government for a 120,000 tons/year polysilicon manufacturing fab having filed for registration here. This one is planned to be commissioned in 2025 (see Chinese Polysilicon Company Eyeing Middle East).   

GCL's compatriot Trina Solar also has its eye on the UAE as it plans a vertically integrated production base here with 50,000 tons of high-purity silicon, 30 GW of silicon wafers, and 5 GW of cells and modules capacity each (see Trina Solar To Make Big Move To The Middle East).  

The Middle East can be expected to attract more such announcements for a local solar production base in line with the growing demand. According to a recent Rystad Energy analysis, the Middle East is likely to account for more than 100 GW installed PV capacity by 2030 with Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE leading the charge (see 'Oil & Gas Powerhouse' Encouraging Rapid Increase Of RE).