Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) has confirmed it will build a $1 billion solar-grade polysilicon production facility in the country and announced that the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract has been awarded to India-based Punj Lloyd.

A QSTec statement said the plant would manufacture high-purity polysilicon with an output capacity of 8,000 tonnes per year with operations commencing in the second half of 2013.

The site, chosen with future expansion in mind, is located on a plot 1.2 million sq m in Ras Laffan Industrial City in the north-east of Qatar, the heart of Qatar’s LNG refineries and exports.  

“Driven by Qatar’s long-term vision for sustainability, QSTec aims to leverage the country’s natural resources and advanced research facilities to manufacture and develop solar technologies locally that will benefit not only Qatar, but will also make a positive impact in protecting the environment globally,” it said.

Dr Khalid K Al Hajri, board member and CEO of QSTec, said: “By utilising Qatar’s resources today to make polysilicon, which in turn creates a variety of solar energy technologies and products, we are helping the global transformation towards a more diversified mix of clean energy solutions.”   

Launched in 2010, QSTec is a joint venture company formed between Qatar Solar (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development), SolarWorld AG and Qatar Development Bank. 

India-based Punj Lloyd Group has a major presence in Qatar and has executed key EPC projects for the oil and gas sector.

The EPC contract was signed by Dr Al Hajri and Ravindra Kansal, president and CEO, Punj Lloyd Middle East, Africa and CIS.

The contract to deliver technology and equipment had been awarded to leading German solar company Centrotherm Photovoltaics in March of last year.