US$1.7bn China-Built Polysilicon Plant Goes Live in Oman
According to reports, on February 5 local time, China's largest polysilicon project built overseas and the Middle East's first polysilicon factory was officially completed in the port city of Sohar, Oman. The 100,000-tonne-per-year high-purity silicon-based materials project developed by United Solar Polysilicon Co., Ltd. announced the successful commissioning of its full production process.
The project was constructed entirely under Chinese standards, technologies and equipment, marking the first time Chinese polysilicon standards have been implemented outside China. From groundbreaking to completion and maintenance, the entire project lifecycle followed Chinese technical systems and was designed and built by Chinese enterprises.
More than 100 large-scale core equipment units were manufactured in China, transported overseas and installed in a single operation. During construction, the project significantly reduced carbon emissions through the use of circulating water systems, biogas systems and solar power solutions.
'We built a modern polysilicon factory to the highest global standards,' said Zhang Longgen, chairman of United Solar Polysilicon Co., Ltd., describing the project as an 'Oman miracle.' He noted that China's polysilicon industry now holds an indisputable comprehensive lead in both technology and production capacity, adding that a core objective of the project was to bring Chinese standards, technologies and equipment to global markets. Although some investors initially expressed reservations about adopting Chinese standards, site inspections during construction won widespread praise for engineering quality and construction speed.
According to Zhang Xiaokang, vice president of China Chemical Engineering Sixth Construction Co., Ltd. and commander-in-chief of the project, adopting U.S. standards would have doubled the construction timeline to at least four years. Since construction began in March 2024, the project team faced multiple challenges, including extreme heat, cross-cultural coordination among multinational workforces, international logistics constraints and financial pressure. Through localized operations and scientific management, the team mitigated risks stemming from volatile international material prices and shipping clearance issues, reduced overall costs, achieved the fastest overseas delivery for a comparable project, and accumulated 10 million safe work hours — establishing a benchmark for 'China speed' and 'China quality'.
'Even under ideal conditions, building a 100,000-tonne polysilicon plant is extremely challenging,' said a senior executive of UK photovoltaic manufacturer Awendio Solaris after visiting the facility. 'In today's volatile markets, disrupted supply chains and shifting trade policies, completing a project of this scale at such speed is even more remarkable.' He added that the plant's scale, density and complexity demonstrate exceptional resilience, discipline and execution, and noted that by supplying high-purity, traceable polysilicon at competitive costs, the project contributes to a more balanced global supply chain despite ongoing geopolitical and trade uncertainties.
Oman has abundant solar resources. Under the Oman Vision 2040 plan, the country aims to generate at least 20% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. As one of Oman's key foreign investment projects, the polysilicon facility carries a total planned investment of USD 1.7 billion. Once fully operational, it is expected to support Oman's and the wider Middle East's energy transition while creating nearly 1,000 local jobs.