Chinese Solar Firm Eyes Saudi Arabia for First Foreign Plant

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Photovoltaic panels stretch into the distance at a solar farm in Northwest China’s Qinghai province in September 2021. Photo: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — China-based solar sector supplier GCL Technology Holdings Ltd. is in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia about opening its first overseas factory as the nations aim to extend their energy ties beyond oil.

The world’s second-largest manufacturer of polysilicon, a key ingredient in solar panels, is looking to build a plant in the Middle Eastern nation that would produce 120,000 tons a year, Joint Chief Executive Officer Lan Tianshi said in an interview. GCL Tech could start operations as early as 2025, he said.