Solar Gaining Traction In Oil-Rich Qatar
At the end of March, Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) – a joint venture (JV) between Qatar Solar (a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation), Germany’s SolarWorld AG and Qatar Development Bank – announced that the first polysilicon had been produced at its new production plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City, 80 km north of Doha. Polysilicon is a high-purity form of silicon and a key component in a range of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies.
The factory, which is currently in the final stages of being commissioned, will have an annual production capacity of 8000 tonnes and is expected to start exporting later this year.
Speaking to OBG, Khalid Klefeekh Al Hajri, chairman and CEO of QSTec, said that the plant’s polysilicon would initially be for export to meet global demand for high-purity, Tier 1 polysilicon.
Al Hajri went on to say that he sees the facility’s initial production capacity as just the first phase and expects it to move up to as much as 50,0000 tonnes per annum over time.
The plant has also been designed with sustainability in mind, possessing 1.1 MW of solar generation capacity and waste treatment facilities to recycle excess gases and water. Read more…