• Kibing Group plans a facility in Algeria producing 1.53m tons of solar glass annually.
• The project includes a silica sand processing unit and will create 3,000 direct jobs.
• Algeria seeks to use its vast silica reserves to become a regional solar hub.

Chinese glassmaker Kibing Group will set up a solar glass plant in Algeria using silica sand, the Algerian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy said in a statement on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

A Chinese delegation led by the group’s Deputy General Manager, Eric Wong Kuan, presented the project during a visit to Algiers, the ministry said.

The plan calls for a photovoltaic glass production facility with an annual capacity of 1.53 million tons, alongside a silica sand treatment and processing unit with a capacity of 1.08 million tons per year.

According to the delegation, the project is expected to generate 3,000 direct jobs and achieve a local integration rate of 90%. The plant, they added, would help develop Algeria’s natural resources, particularly silica sand, and establish an integrated solar energy production chain that could position the country as a regional hub for renewables in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Algerian authorities said technical meetings will be held in the coming days with representatives of relevant agencies to “assess the feasibility and implementation possibilities of the project in line with national standards and requirements.”

Kibing Group, a leading Chinese glass manufacturer, produces solar glass, insulating glass, and medical glass.

Algeria has significant silica sand reserves, especially in the northeast and west. Known geological reserves include more than 150 million tons of high-silica rock (with a silica content above 97%) and over 100 million tons of industrial-grade siliceous rock (with more than 90% silica). Current production comes from about 15 quarries operated by public and private firms.