Chinese Silicon Giant Confirms Marseille FOS Port Deal

The Marseille Fos port authority and Quechen Silicon Chemical have signed an agreement ratifying the company’s intention to construct a €105 million ($118 million) processing plant on a 12-hectare site in the Fos industrial zone.

Quechen is the world’s third biggest producer of silicon used in making “green” vehicle tires. Due on stream in 2021, the largest Chinese-owned factory in France will generate 130 direct jobs and annual cargo throughput of 400,000 tons.

After several years studying potential European sites, Quechen signed an initial letter of intent with the French port in January 2018. A ground lease was sealed last October, enabling site surveys to start. Since then, the technical design and planning application processes have been under way with assistance from the port authority and “economic attractiveness” agency Provence Promotion.

The factory will be in the heart of a 1,200-hectare area of the Fos industrial zone.