News on USA

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

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.

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.

Fluidized bed reactor (FBR) polysilicon plant of TianREC, the Chinese joint venture of REC Silicon, in Yulin, Shaanxi province, China

REC Silicon writes down China joint-venture investment to zero

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Low utilization rates and continuing losses of its granular polysilicon joint venture TianREC in Yulin in the Chinese province of Shaanxi have led REC Silicon to write down its investment to zero.

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

Wacker’s chronic problem with contractors leads to one fatality

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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

Equity raise: Sale of REC Silicon’s plant in Butte is off the table

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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.

REC Silicon’s silane and fluidized bed reactor polysilicon plant in Moses Lake, Washington with vehicle at night

REC Silicon planning to restart its plant in Moses Lake in 2022

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REC Silicon has announced partnerships with two future customers of its mothballed silane and polysilicon production facilities in Moses Lake, Washington, with restart planned in 2022.

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

New incident at Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant: workers injured

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The series of incidents at Wacker’s U.S. polysilicon plant in Charleston, Tennessee does not stop: Four contract workers suffered chemical burns when they performed maintenance work on July 24.

REC Silicon defers sale of Butte plant, keeps Moses Lake closed

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In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S.-based polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon has deferred the sale of its electronic-grade plant in Butte. Its solar-grade plant in Moses Lake remains closed.

Sales, EBITDA and Capex of Wacker’s polysilicon division in Q1 2020 versus Q4 2019 and Q1 2019

Wacker starts short-time work at its German polysilicon plants

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In response to slumping demand for solar-grade polysilicon in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, chemicals group Wacker has reduced the utilization rate of its German polysilicon plants to 70%.