A market in transition
The global high-purity quartz market is undergoing a structural shift. As semiconductor and AI-related demand become increasingly important relative to solar PV, the market is rebalancing in ways that create new risks and opportunities for producers, consumers, and investors. The future of supply, pricing, and competitive positioning looks increasingly uncertain.
CRU's High-Purity Quartz Special Report 2026 provides the independent, data-led view you need to navigate this new market reality.
Why This Matters Now
As the landscape shifts, how will the demand transition from solar PV to semiconductors reshape supply requirements? Which producers have the capability to serve premium-grade markets? What does the bifurcation between overall surplus and premium-grade deficit mean for investment and procurement decisions?
The choices that companies across the value chain make today on capacity, investment, and technology will directly influence their competitiveness through to 2035.
Making confident decisions requires a clear, evidence-based understanding of the path ahead.
What is inside the Special Report?
CRU's updated High-Purity Quartz Special Report 2026 delivers comprehensive analysis and data-driven forecasts to guide your strategy:
- Executive Summary: Provides an overview of the report, highlighting three demand scenarios – Base, Bull and Bear – reflecting different assumptions for solar installations, semiconductor output, AI/data-centre investment and technology adoption. It also highlights the bifurcation of the HPQ market, where an overall surplus masks a structural deficit in the highest grade material.
- Introduction to HPQ: Introduces basic concepts in the HPQ market, including geology, processing routes, grade definitions and the distinction between natural and synthetic quartz.
- Appendix: Includes CRU's producer/project tracker, a High-Purity Quartz 101 guide, and a full methodology outline, plus a supporting data pack in Excel.
- HPQ Market Summary & Downstream Market Analysis: Provides an overview of HPQ demand by end use and region through 2035, including solar PV and semiconductor crucibles, quartz glassware, optical fibre, lighting and optics. Provides differentiated long-term price forecasts for basic, advanced and premium HPQ through 2035, along with key upside and downside pricing risks.
- HPQ Producers and Refiners: Provides an overview of global HPQ supply by producer and region, including the "Big Three" – Sibelco, The Quartz Corp and Jiangsu Pacific Quartz – as well as other smaller players. Recent company-level developments are highlighted, including shipments, revenues, expansion plans and competitive positioning, covering both operating producers and near-term projects.
- Project pipeline: A global project pipeline assessed using CRU's probability-weighted Project Gateway System (PGS), covering key ex. China projects in the US, Norway, Canada and Australia, as well as major Chinese capacity additions.
Appendix: Includes CRU's producer/project tracker, a High-Purity Quartz 101 guide, and a full methodology outline, plus a supporting data pack in Excel.
