News on 2020

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

The ten most popular posts from Bernreuter Research on LinkedIn in 2020

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“Bad news is good news” – this saying was true for the ten most popular posts from Bernreuter Research on LinkedIn in 2020. Number 1, 3 and 6 in our top ten list dealt with accidents in the polysilicon industry.

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

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One of five contract workers has died after a mixture of steam and hydrochloric acid escaped during a maintenance operation at Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant in Charleston, Tennessee.

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

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After an equity raise, U.S.-based polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon has abandoned its plan to sell its cash cow, the silane and electronic-grade polysilicon plant in Butte, Montana.

Xinte Energy’s polysilicon plant in Urumqi, Xinjiang region, China

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JA Solar, the world’s second-largest solar panel producer, has secured the supply of 97,200 tons of polysilicon from Xinjiang-based manufacturer Xinte Energy for a period of more than five years.

Representatives of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings and its subsidiary Jiangsu Zhongneng celebrate the official launch of the 54,000-ton fluidized bed reactor (FBR) project for granular polysilicon in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China on September 8, 2020

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Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon, a subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings, will increase its fluidized bed reactor (FBR) capacity for granular polysilicon to 54,000 tons by the end of 2021.

The factory gate of Sichuan Yongxiang’s polysilicon plant in Leshan after the flood had receded on August 20, 2020

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After a once-in-a-century flood in mid-August, Tongwei’s older polysilicon plant with a capacity of 20,000 metric tons in Leshan, Sichuan province will remain out of operation until mid-October.

Factory entrance of Wuxi Shangji Automation and polysilicon sales contract s of Daqo New Energy

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Daqo New Energy, one of the Big Five in China’s polysilicon industry, has signed a supply contract with Wuxi Shangji Automation, an ambitious newcomer in the production of monocrystalline solar wafers.

Groundbreaking for Asia Silicon’s polysilicon plant expansion in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province, China

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Asia Silicon, China’s sixth-largest polysilicon manufacturer, will increase its production capacity to 50,000 metric tons by 2022 and has closed a five-year supply contract with wafer maker Longi.

Polysilicon plant of Tongwei’s subsidiary Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon in Leshan, Sichuan province, China

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While the polysilicon plant of Tongwei’s subsidiary Sichuan Yongxiang Polysilicon was temporarily shut down due to a flood alert, Daqo New Energy and GCL-Poly are aiming to resume production after accidents.

Distillation columns of GCL-Poly’s polysilicon plant in Xinjiang

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Chlorosilanes expert Alan Crawford argues for concerted action after four similar incidents have occurred at the Chinese polysilicon plants of Daqo, GCL-Poly, East Hope and Tongwei.