OCI increases production capacity at Malaysian polysilicon factory

OCIM Sdn Bhd (OCIMSB), the Malaysian unit of South Korean polysilicon producer OCI, will ramp up the annual production capacity of its polysilicon factory in the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak, Malaysia, by 21,600 metric tons (MT).

“OCI Holdings has agreed to invest KRW850 billion ($617.9 million) in Malaysia by 2027 to increase the production capacity of local company OCIM from 35,000 tons to 56,600 tons per year,” a spokesperson from the company told pv magazine.

The group raised the plant's capacity from 10,000 MT to 27,000 MT between 2018 and 2019, and from 27,000 MT to 35,000 MT between 2021 and 2022.

With the new capacity additions, the group's total annual polysilicon output – including its 3,000-MT factory in Gunsan, South Korea – will reach 59,600 MT.

Furthermore, OCI announced in June it is planning to build a 10,000 MT polysilicon factory at an unspecified location in Malaysia in partnership with Japanese chemical company Tokuyama Corporation.

“In light of expansion in the semiconductor market and subsequent forecast increase in demand for polycrystalline silicon, Tokuyama is looking to explore possible collaboration with OCI to build a production and supply facilities for semiconductor-grade polycrystalline silicon using clean energy, and promote accelerated business expansion in the electronics field while controlling increases in CO2 emissions,” Tokuyama said in a statement released at the time, without providing further details.