News on 2021

News on suppliers, market trends and technology innovations in polysilicon and wafer production is selected, assessed and written for you by Bernreuter Research.

New polysilicon production capacities (in metric tons) in 2022

New polysilicon entrants in China: Nothing learnt from the past

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The current polysilicon shortage has triggered so many new Chinese projects with a total capacity of more than one million tons that the industry will again face oversupply in the coming years.

A couple recruited through a labor transfer program is sitting in a bunk room at a facility of Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd.

What the U.S. ban on Hoshine Silicon means for the PV industry

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The Withhold Release Order of the U.S. customs against Xinjiang-based silicon metal producer Hoshine puts pressure on polysilicon manufacturers as most of them are sourcing from Hoshine.

Price changes in the solar value chain (polysilicon, wafer, cell, module) from January through May 2021

Has the polysilicon spot price rally reached its peak now?

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After the polysilicon spot price has skyrocketed by almost 160% from US$11/kg in early 2021 to $28.50/kg now, there are first signs that the price rally will slow down.

Polysilicon plant of OCI in Bintulu, a coastal city in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia

OCI mulling expansion of polysilicon capacity by 60,000 tons

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South Korean chemicals group OCI is considering expanding the capacity of its polysilicon plant in Malaysia to 95,000 tons, possibly fueled by demand for polysilicon untainted by forced labor in Xinjiang.

Representatives of East Hope Group and the Ningxia and Shizuishan governments signed cooperation and invest agreements for a cluster of projects in Shizuishan

Is Xinjiang becoming a hot potato for polysilicon producers?

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Out of four Xinjiang-based polysilicon manufacturers, East Hope is the third that has announced a new project outside the region linked to forced labor: a 250,000-ton factory in Shizuishan, Ningxia.

Workers manually crush silicon metal in the Jingang Circular Economy Industrial Park in Yili (also known as Ili) prefecture, Xinjiang, China

New report reveals the PV industry’s deep ties to forced labor

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A new research report from the Sheffield Hallam University in England uncovers so far unknown details about silicon metal, polysilicon and wafer manufacturers using forced labor in Xinjiang.

Polysilicon plant of Inner Mongolia Tongwei in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China

Tongwei and Xinte to upgrade polysilicon production capacities

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Leading Chinese polysilicon manufacturers Tongwei and Xinte Energy are boosting the capacity of their production facilities through upgrades and debottlenecking by 50,000 metric tons in total.

Price changes in the solar value chain (polysilicon, wafer, cell, module) in the first quarter of 2021

Why the spot price for polysilicon is going through the roof

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In the first quarter, the spot price for solar-grade polysilicon soared by nearly 50% – from US$11 to more than $16 per kg. Solar cell manufacturers played a key role in the price rally.

Technology Park of ASPI Group at the Port of Moses Lake, Washington, USA, where Violet Power is planning to build a solar panel factory

Break-up with REC points to deeper problems at Violet Power

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The decision of U.S.-based polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon to terminate the partnership with Violet Power confirms doubts about the viability of the plans announced by the solar panel start-up.

Polysilicon EBITDA margins of Daqo, OCI, Wacker and REC Silicon from Q4 2019 through Q4 2020

Price hike gives non-Chinese polysilicon producers a breather

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The strong rise of polysilicon prices since mid-2020 has led the results of non-Chinese manufacturers Wacker and OCI back into positive territory. EBITDA in the second half improved significantly.

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