OCI increases production capacity at Malaysian polysilicon factory

OCI has revealed plans to invest $55 million to expand production at its Malaysian manufacturing facility from 30,000 to 35,000 metric tons.

March 30, 2021 Emiliano Bellini

Image: OCIMSB

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 5,000 metric tons (MT).

“OCIMSB’s SoG Poly-Si production capacity is 30,000 MT/year, and it will be expanded to 35,000 MT/year by the second half of 2022,” a company spokesperson told pv magazine.

OCIM will invest around $55 million in the Malaysian plant, which resumed manufacturing in mid-July. The group raised the plant's capacity from 10,000 MT to 27,000 MT between 2018 and 2019.

With the new capacity additions, the group's total annual polysilicon output – including its 3,000-MT factory in Gunsan, South Korea – will reach 38,000 MT.

“The Malaysian plant is currently in full operation, and the maintenance schedule has not been decided as of now,” the spokesperson said. “The Korean plant is currently not fully operational, and is scheduled to be fully operational from next year.”

The company shut down the Gunsan plant in February 2020, due to downward price pressure in the South Korean polysilicon industry. However, polysilicon prices are now much higher, and PV demand remains strong, the company noted.

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