Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Polysilicon: Production

How China built over 3.2 Mt of plants for 1.4 Mt

What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.
MeasureFigureDetailSource
World capacityabove 3.2 Mt nameplate (2025-26)Capacity grew from 1.4 Mt in early 2022 to 2.6 Mt by end-2022 and over 3.2 Mt since; OPIS (Dec 2025) put a third of nominal capacity at over 1 Mt, consistent with this. China's new energy-use standards from 2027 would leave nearly 2 Mt operating.China Polysilicon 2026 report; OPIS (17 Dec 2025); pv magazine/OPIS (10 Jul 2026)
World outputabout 1.4 Mt (2025, derived); China 1.32 MtChina's output fell 28.4% in 2025 to 1.32 Mt under anti-involution output curbs; outside China about 0.1 Mt (Wacker, Hemlock, OCI, Tokuyama; indicative). Tongwei sold 161 kt in H1 2025 and GCL 191 kt (82 kt granular); Daqo produced 123.7 kt in 2025 (down 39.7%).CNMIA Silicon Branch via Daqo Q4 2025 call (Feb 2026); pv magazine (12 Sep 2025); Daqo FY2025 results
Capacity utilisationabout 40% (2025, derived: 1.32 Mt / over 3.2 Mt); 32% in February 2026At least five tier-two plants (two in Ordos, and one each in Changji, Xining and Leshan, about 300 kt) cut or halted output in H2 2025. Monthly Chinese output was 85 kt in May 2026 and expected above 110 kt in August 2026.CNMIA via pv magazine (27 Feb 2026; 10 Jul 2026); China Polysilicon 2026 report
ConcentrationChina over 90% of output (93.5% in 2024); top four (Tongwei, GCL, Daqo, Xinte) 65% of world output in 2024Nine of the top ten producers are Chinese; Wacker (8th in 2024) is the only Western one. Ten Chinese producers, led by Tongwei (30.35%) and GCL (16.79%), own the consolidation company Beijing Guanghe Qiancheng Technology, registered on 9 Dec 2025 with RMB 3 billion of capital.Bernreuter Research (25 Nov 2025); OPIS (17 Dec 2025)
New capacityoverseas capacity above 500 kt by 2030 (indicative); China's effective capacity cut towards about 2 Mt by 2027China's mandatory energy-consumption standards from 1 Jan 2027 (Siemens limits 5.0-6.4 kgce/kg) could affect up to 30% of capacity, leaving nearly 2 Mt. OCI plans 56.6 kt in 2026-27. In India, Mercom counts a 30 GW polysilicon-ingot-wafer pipeline with no polysilicon output yet; Adani targets 2028; a proposed MNRE PLI would support more than 10 GW (roughly 20-25 kt at about 2-2.5 g/W, indicative).pv magazine/OPIS (10 Jul 2026); China Polysilicon 2026 report; Mercom (11 Sep 2026); PV Tech (7 Aug 2026)

Top producing countries

China 92% · 1.32 Mt of about 1.43 Mt (2025, share derived); 93.5% in 2024 India 0% · no production (Aug 2026)
  • Germany and US (Wacker): Wacker 80 kt capacity in Burghausen, Nünchritz and Charleston, Tennessee (2025)
  • Malaysia: OCI TerraSolar 35 kt (2025), 56.6 kt planned for 2026-27
  • United States (Hemlock): about 20-30 kt in Michigan (indicative); 14th largest producer in 2024 (Bernreuter)
  • Japan: Tokuyama semiconductor grade; volume not in sources used
CNMIA Silicon Branch via Daqo Q4 2025 call (Feb 2026); Bernreuter Research (Nov 2025); China Polysilicon 2026 report; Bernreuter Research (Wacker 8th largest in 2024); China Polysilicon 2026 report; China Polysilicon 2026 report; Bernreuter Research (Nov 2025); Indicative; ThePrint (20 Aug 2026)

Largest producers: global

CompanyCountryVolumeYearSource
Tongwei H1 2025 net loss RMB 4.96 billion; full-year 2025 loss of RMB 9-10 billion reported by the China Polysilicon 2026 report (indicative) China900 kt/yr capacity (over 900 kt); 161.3 kt sold in H1 2025 2025pv magazine (12 Sep 2025, H1 2025 results)
GCL Technology sold 191.4 kt in H1 2025, of which 82.4 kt granular; phased out its last 120 kt of Siemens capacity by end-2025 China480 kt/yr granular (FBR) capacity 2025pv magazine (12 Sep 2025); PV Tech
East HopeChina350 kt/yr capacity 2025China Polysilicon 2026 report
Daqo New Energy 2026 guidance 140-170 kt; 2025 revenue $665 million, net loss $170.5 million; Q4 2025 cash cost $4.46/kg China350 kt/yr capacity (123.7 kt produced 2025) 2025Daqo FY2025 results via Yahoo Finance (Feb 2026); capacity from China Polysilicon 2026 report
Xinte Energy (TBEA) cash cost about RMB 26/kg China300 kt/yr capacity 2025China Polysilicon 2026 report
Asia Silicon over 95% n-type China100 kt/yr capacity 2025China Polysilicon 2026 report
Wacker Chemie about 35% of semiconductor grade Germany80 kt/yr capacity (20 kt semiconductor grade) 2025China Polysilicon 2026 report
OCI TerraSolar non-Chinese supply for US-bound modules Malaysia/South Korea35 kt/yr capacity 2025China Polysilicon 2026 report

Largest producers: India

CompanyCountryVolumeYearSource
Adani Solar commercial production planned for 2028; capacity not stated Indianot published 2028 (planned)ThePrint (20 Aug 2026)
Reliance Industries company statements; no timeline or capacity in source Indianot published 2026ThePrint (20 Aug 2026)
Lanco Solar no timeline in source Indianot published 2026ThePrint (20 Aug 2026)

India produces no polysilicon and has only about 2 GW of ingot-wafer capacity against about 172 GW of listed module and 27 GW of cell capacity, so nearly all wafers and polysilicon come from China (OPIS, Mar 2026; Mercom, Sep 2026).

Position by region

RegionPosition
USUyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act blocks Xinjiang-linked silicon; Section 301 tariffs on Chinese polysilicon and wafers rose to 50% in 2025 (indicative); Hemlock and Wacker Charleston supply.
EUWacker is the only large maker; the EU Forced Labour Regulation applies from December 2027 (Bernreuter, 2025).
IndiaNo production; ALMM List-III (wafers) from 1 June 2028; polysilicon PLI for more than 10 GW being prepared (MNRE, Aug 2026), outlay not disclosed.
ChinaOver 90% of output; consolidation company (RMB 3 billion registered capital, Dec 2025) aims to buy and retire up to a third of capacity, over 1 Mt; energy-use standards from 2027.
JapanTokuyama in semiconductor grade (indicative).
Middle EastGulf projects proposed on cheap power (indicative); none operating in sources used.