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Taiwan-based Sun Materials Technology has begun construction on the country’s first solar-grade polysilicon plant, a report in DigiTimes has revealed. The company will use its proprietary production technique that involves the extraction of the currently 7N-grade polysilicon from sodium fluosilicate, a waste product from fertilizer production. The first production line, scheduled for completion in mid-2009, will have an annual capacity of 3,500 tons.

The plant, which will be Taiwan's first solar-grade polycrystalline silicon plant, is located at the Letzer Industrial Park in northeastern Taiwan and is expected to begin production in 3Q09. With a capacity target of 4,000 tons for 2009 on the cards, the company has said that it intends to set up an additional five production lines at the Letzer location, eventually aiming to provide 20,000 tons – approximately sufficient to meet Taiwan’s needs – by 2015.