Polysilicon producer REC Silicon has been forced to sell solar grade (FBR) polysilicon below cash cost, due to weak demand and ASP declines, driven by demand curtailment in China and continued polysilicon capacity expansions.
Chemicals firm Wacker Chemie has painted a rosier picture of polysilicon supply and demand in 2018 than most when reporting a small second quarter decline in polysilicon revenue.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon expects its FBR (Fluidized bed reactor) polysilicon production to decline 42% in the third quarter of 2018, after recently announcing further cuts in workforce and production at its Moses Lake facility that would operate at only 25% utilisation rates. The company noted that it was evaluating the possible suspension of all of its solar related materials business in the US.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon said it had achieved 800MT of FBR (Fluidized Bed Reactor) granular polysilicon production at its Joint Venture (JV) plant in Yulin, China in the first quarter of 2018.
In President Trump's statement imposing a 30% import duty on all foreign made crystalline silicon solar cells and modules reference was made to renewed efforts that would be made to resolve the trade war with China over polysilicon duties on US producers, effectively locking them out of the market.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon ASA benefited from higher sales volumes and ASP increases to report a 23% increase in revenue in the third quarter of 2017.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon ASA reported a slump in polysilicon sales in the first quarter of 2017 as market demand weakness resumed after strong demand in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon ASA reported a 106% increase in its polysilicon sales volume in the fourth quarter of 2016, due to an overall strong demand pick-up in the late last year.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon is cutting production at its Moses Lake facility by around 50% from the beginning of October due to overcapacity in the solar supply chain.
