UAE aluminum maker enters silicon metal, polysilicon business

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) unveiled a plan to produce silicon metal at an unspecified location in the United Arab Emirates.

“The UAE currently has no domestic silicon metal manufacturing capacity, and EGA is by far the largest importer of this material with an annual demand of around 60 thousand tonnes,” the manufacturer said. “Some 70% of the world’s silicon metal manufacturing capacity is located in China, with the electricity-intensive industry largely powered by coal.”

The plan includes the possibility of manufacturing solar-grade silicon for the solar and semiconductor industries. “Domestic supply of silicon metal could create the opportunity for a local solar photovoltaics manufacturing value chain to develop,” EGA said.

CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said the development of a silicon metal manufacturing facility would secure its supply of a strategic raw material.

“Once we have met our own demand we could expand further, creating a new growth opportunity for our company while supporting the development of new local industries in line with the goals of Operation 300bn and Make it in the Emirates, and the global energy transition,” he said. “We could begin construction of a silicon metal plant as soon as next year.”

The company did not reveal any details about production capacity or preferred manufacturing technologies.