The National Petroleum Company of Angola (Sonangol) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with China's Qinghai Lihao Clean Energy to establish a polysilicon plant in Angola. The project, centered on quartz mining, will produce metallurgical silicon and polysilicon for photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing.
The planned facility aims to reach an annual production capacity of 180,000 tons of metallurgical silicon and 150,000 tons of polysilicon, beginning with an initial output of 50,000 tons.
Sonangol's chairman Gaspar Martins and Qinghai Lihao's executive director Wang Fu underscored the venture's potential to establish Angola's PV module industry, reflecting the country's aim to expand its renewable energy portfolio.
While it remains unclear where the modules will be deployed, Angola's renewable sector is already strong, with clean energy comprising 63% of its energy mix as of 2023, according to IRENA. This capacity is heavily dominated by hydro and marine sources, which account for 91%, whereas solar energy represents only 8%, indicating significant room for expansion.
Qinghai Lihao Clean Energy, founded in 2021, focuses on semiconductor materials, including high-purity PV-grade silicon and electronic-grade polysilicon, with production bases in China. The company plans to expand polysilicon capacity by an additional 200,000 tons across its sites.
