According to Taiwan-based market research firm EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, demand for monocrystalline wafers in China is increasing due to capacity constraints with mainstream multicrystalline wafers.
The Indian government has sought industry feedback on the concept of establishing a polysilicon manufacturing hub in the country. Matthias Grossman looks at how such a proposal would fare in the currently unsettled global poly market.
Despite record low polysilicon prices seen in January 2016 marking a clear oversupply, PV manufacturing capacity expansions and projected end-market demand could reverse the situation by the end of 2016, specifically in China.
US-based polysilicon producer REC Silicon said in a trading update ahead of releasing fourth quarter results at the end of the week that it would shutdown its Silane IV production unit and remaining FBR production at its Moses Lake plant.
Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie said that its new polysilicon plant in the US had started ramping and existing plants remained at full-capacity despite continued price declines that have reached record lows.
Asia-based polysilicon producer Tokuyama Corp said it would take a one-time impairment charge of ¥123.4 billion (US$1.02 billion) on its two polysilicon plants in Malaysia as ASPs were lower than expected and not inline with previous business guidance.
SiTec, a subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics said it was developing a highly efficient technology called ‘Genesis’ that when perfected would reduce monosilane fluid-bed reactor (FBR) polysilicon production capital and operating costs by approximately 45% each, compared to legacy FBR decomposition processes.
Japan-based M.Setek, a subsidiary of Taiwan based flat panel display and PV module manufacturer, AU Optronics Corp (AUO) is to stop production of monocrystalline polysilicon production, due to cost competitive issues.
The Government of India is considering supporting polysilicon, ingot and wafer production in India as part of prime minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme, that was launched last year.
