News on 2019

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

Depreciation rates of Daqo New Energy and Wacker Polysilicon from Q3 2018 through Q3 2019 and estimate for full 2019

Price pressure: Wacker impairs polysilicon assets by €750 million

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Leading German polysilicon manufacturer Wacker has announced it will take a massive impairment of €750 million (US$832 million) on the carrying value of its polysilicon plants in its 2019 financial statements.

Shares of top three players, Longi, Zhonghuan Semiconductor and JinkoSolar, in global mono wafer capacity in 2019; shares of monocrystalline and multicrystalline modules in JinkoSolar’s shipments in 2018, 2019 and 2020

Jinko takes the lead: nearly 100% of modules to be mono in 2020

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Marking the rapid demise of multicrystalline technology, the world’s largest module supplier, JinkoSolar, expects monocrystalline modules to make up nearly 100% of its shipments in 2020.

Polysilicon EBITDA margins of Daqo, OCI, REC Silicon and Wacker from Q3 2018 through Q3 2019

Polysilicon producer Daqo breaks the cash cost barrier of $6/kg

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After weaker results in the second quarter due to maintenance, China-based polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy achieved so far unthinkable cash production costs of US$5.85/kg in the third quarter.

China’s market shares in global production capacity along the PV value chain (solar-grade polysilicon, solar ingot, solar wafer, solar cell, solar module)

Wacker to reduce the workforce of its U.S. polysilicon plant by 3%

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Expecting a decrease in demand in view of the shrinking market outside China, Wacker is planning to cut the 650-strong workforce of its U.S. polysilicon plant by 20 employees or around 3%.

Polysilicon EBITDA margins of OCI, REC Silicon and Wacker from Q3 2018 through Q3 2019

Non-Chinese polysilicon manufacturers return to negative EBITDA

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Polysilicon makers OCI, REC Silicon and Wacker all landed in red territory in the third quarter. Operating EBITDA margins ranged from -3.4% (OCI) to -9.3% (REC Silicon) to -13.3% (Wacker).

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

Wacker Polysilicon’s operating EBITDA margin slips to -13.3%

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Record-low polysilicon prices and inventory valuation adjustments pushed the operating EBITDA margin of Wacker’s polysilicon division to minus 13.3% in the third quarter.

Xinte Energy’s polysilicon plant in Urumqi, Xinjiang with sunflowers in the foreground

China-based polysilicon manufacturer Xinte feels the price slump

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Xinte Energy, the second-largest polysilicon manufacturer in China, has issued a profit warning, “mainly due to the significant fall of the sales price of polysilicon.”

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

REC Silicon mulls selling its cash cow, the Butte polysilicon plant

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REC Silicon has announced considerations to sell its second plant, located in Butte in the U.S. state of Montana, which produces silane and electronic-grade polysilicon for the semiconductor industry.

Polysilicon sales contracts of Daqo

Daqo solidifies its position through polysilicon deal with Jinko

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Daqo, China’s third-largest polysilicon manufacturer has signed a new two-year sales contract with JinkoSolar, the world’s largest solar module supplier, for the delivery of up to 36,000 tons of polysilicon in 2020 and 2021.

Monocrystalline solar wafers from Longi Green Energy Technology

Longi to reach 65 GW of mono wafer capacity already in late 2020

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Longi, the leading manufacturer of monocrystalline solar wafers, will accelerate the expansion of its production capacity, thus reaching its target of 65 GW already by the end of 2020, one year ahead of schedule.