Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: The Chinese solar sector supplier, GCL Tech, is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia over establishing its first polysilicon plant in the Middle East.

The new plant will produce 120,000 tons of polysilicon yearly, which is a vital ingredient in solar panels, Bloomberg stated.

The polysilicon plant aligns with the aspirations of Saudi Arabia and China to expand their mutual energy ties beyond oil.

The Joint CEO of GCL Tech, Lan Tianshi, said that the company could start operations in the Kingdom by 2025.

“Saudi Arabia has mature infrastructure and experience in industrial manufacturing,” the official said, adding that the Kingdom’s abundant sunlight could support its transition from oil giant to solar energy producer.

Tianshi noted that GCL Tech aspires to establish outposts in other countries, elaborating that it has already filed for registration in Saudi Arabia, and has a team of about 10 people on the ground. He further noted that GCL Tech is in talks with local government officials and the royal commission.

Through establishing the plant in Saudi Arabia, GCL Tech would tap into the country’s large potential market and the higher prices that polysilicon yields overseas.

GCL Technology Holdings, also known as GCL Tech, is a leading enterprise that focuses on the integration of hydrogen storage in wind and solar power generation, new energy, clean energy and new ecology of mobile energy industries, and the coordinated development of silicon materials, lithium materials, carbon materials, integrated circuit core materials and other related industries.

It drives innovation and development with leading green, low-carbon and zero-carbon energy technologies and follows a brand-new development mode of "scientific and technological GCL," "digital GCL" and "green GCL" under the national goals of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality.