Kazatomprom again seeks to sell solar manufacturing units

Kazakhstan state-owned uranium miner Kazatomprom JSC has launched an auction for the sale of 100% of shares in the authorized capital of its three solar manufacturing units – MK KazSilicon LLP, Astana Solar LLP and Kazakhstan Solar Silicon LLP.

The starting price for MK KazSilicon LLP has been set at KZT707 million ($1.68 million). This company operates a solar grade metallurgical silicon factory with a capacity of 5,000 tons per year in Ushtobe.

As for Kazakhstan Solar Silicon LLP, which owns a 60 MW wafer manufacturing facility in Ust-Kamenogorsk, the starting price has been set at KZT5,59 billion. The starting price for Astana Solar LLP has been set at KZT3.38 billion. This unit produces polycrystalline solar cells and modules and operates a 50 MW manufacturing facility in Astana.

The units were created with the support of a French consortium led by government-run atomic energy agency the CEA and were formed with fully integrated PV manufacturing lines.

Kazatomprom sought to sell the three companies through a first auction launched in September 2017. Later, in May 2019, it announced that a 75% stake in the three units had been sold to an international consortium formed by the Yadran Solar unit of Russian oil provider Yadran Oil; France’s ECM Greentech, which manufactures turnkey production lines for the PV industry; and China’s Kasen/Canadian Solar. At the time, Kazatomprom said, under the terms of the agreement, the remaining 25% stake would be acquired by the consortium within three years.

In its latest financial results, however, the company revealed that this agreement did not enter into force due to “non-compliance by the purchaser with certain conditions.”