US Backs Moroccan Firm That Seeks to Produce Key Chip Material

The US is backing a Moroccan company that plans to produce a highly purified form of silicon used to make semiconductors and solar panels, as Washington seeks to line up alternatives to China for materials critical to modern technology.

Sondiale SA, which wants to produce polysilicon at a new $870 million factory in southern Morocco, has secured $4.75 million from the US International Development Finance Corp. for “pre-investment project development work” to support planning and preparation, according to the Washington-based lender.