News on oversupply

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

Polysilicon price trend 2023 versus 2011

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After the crash below US$10 per kg, the global polysilicon price has not yet reached its bottom. This lies below US$7 per kg – the cash cost level of the last producer needed to satisfy demand.

Curves of the global polysilicon price average from January 2022 through the first week of January 2023 (dark blue) and from January 2021 through the first week of January 2022 (pink)

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Since the last week of December 2022, the slump of the polysilicon price has accelerated drastically; however, there are good arguments that the price collapse will soon come to a halt.

New polysilicon production capacities (in metric tons) in 2022

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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.

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

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U.S.-based polysilicon manufacturer Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation will lay off 50 employees, the company announced internally on June 18.

polysilicon chunks

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The Chinese government’s decision to reduce the approval of new photovoltaic (PV) installations drastically will have a severe impact on the global PV supply chain.

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

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Bernreuter Research expects a 120 GW PV market in 2018, with approximately 65 GW of new installations in China, and no polysilicon oversupply.

polysilicon chunks

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The Silicon Branch of the China Non-ferrous Metals Industry Association expects that polysilicon oversupply will exacerbate through 2019 or longer, Patrick Ryan reports in his blog.