Algeria plans to invest in silicon

Youssef Yousfi, the Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, has announced that the state-owned electricity and gas company Sonelgaz is preparing to invest €250 million in silicon exploration. The Algerian company hopes to start the production of silicon by 2013.

Silicon is the main component of microchips and other semiconductors, but Yousfi says the quarter-billion € investment was intended to produce solar poles.

The state-owned company is also planning to satisfy 40% of local electricity demands through 12 megawatts of solar energy by 2030. Sonelgaz’s main goal is to reposition itself as oil and gas reserves decline, and to possibly start exporting electricity to Europe.

Algeria has its own solar electricity project separate from Desertec, an ambitious project aiming to provide electricity to Europe through renewable sources such and wind and solar power stations in the Sahara Desert.

Worldwide production of silicon topped 6.3 million metric tons. Algeria hopes to join China, Russia and Norway as the world’s top silicon producers.

Jahd Khalil