News on 2017

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

Hemlock Semiconductor’s polysilicon plant in Hemlock, Michigan (USA)

Polysilicon maker Hemlock Semiconductor to lay off 100 workers

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U.S.-based Hemlock Semiconductor, once the world’s largest polysilicon manufacturer, has announced that it will lay off 100 employees, most of them in the first quarter of 2018.

Daqo New Energy’s polysilicon plant in Shihezi, Xinjiang

Daqo to expand its polysilicon production capacity by 12,000 tons

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Daqo will expand the capacity of its polysilicon plant in Xinjiang by 7,000 tons by the end of 2018 and will further increase its capacity by 5,000 MT through debottlenecking by the end of 2019.

REC Silicon’s Q2 2017 update on FBR joint venture in Yulin

Is REC Silicon’s Chinese FBR joint venture behind schedule?

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Chinese competitors are raising doubts that TianREC, the joint venture between REC Silicon and Shaanxi Non-ferrous Tianhong New Energy, will start up polysilicon production in Yulin, Shaanxi province still in 2017.

Presentation by GCL System Integration at EU PVSEC 2017: Industrially feasible PERC cells on diamond wire sawn multicrystalline silicon wafers textured by RIE towards 20.78% efficiency

Multicrystalline PV sector strikes back against monocrystalline

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More efficient Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology will soon gain ground on multicrystalline cells made of cost-cutting diamond-wire-sawn wafers with a so-called ‚black-silicon’ texture.

Monthly polysilicon imports into China from September 2016 through August 2017

Strong demand drives Chinese polysilicon imports to next record

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With a monthly volume of 16,141 tons, polysilicon imports into China reached another record high in August, anticipating stronger demand for PV systems.

REC Silicon’s silane/polysilicon plant in Butte, Montana

REC Silicon curtails production of solar-grade polysilicon in Butte

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U.S.-based manufacturer REC Silicon has curtailed production of solar-grade polysilicon at its facility in Butte, Montana and will focus on electronic grade for the semiconductor industry there.

Charleston residents protest against Wacker’s communication policy after hydrogen explosion at its polysilicon plant

Wacker: U.S. polysilicon plant shutdown will take several months

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After a hydrogen explosion has damaged its U.S. polysilicon plant, Wacker expects it will take several months until the plant is restarted. The company’s communication policy has sparked harsh criticism in the local community.

Vapor plume containing traces of hydrochloric acid after explosion at Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant in Charleston, Tennessee

Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant temporarily closed after explosion

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Chlorosilane escaped from two leaks after an explosion at Wacker’s polysilicon plant near Charleston, Tennessee (USA) on September 7. Production has been suspended until the cause of the explosion is found.

Monthly polysilicon imports from South Korea into China from January through July 2016 and 2017, respectively

Misleading statements on Korean polysilicon imports into China

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BusinessKorea has reported that polysilicon exports from South Korea in the second quarter of 2017 decreased by 25.5% versus Q2 2016, attributing the decline to political friction with China. The actual numbers tell a different story.

Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant in Charleston, Tennessee

Chemicals from Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant injure five workers

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A release of chemicals at Wacker’s polysilicon plant near Charleston, Tennessee (USA) has caused burns to five workers. They were taken to hospitals.

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