Timminco shifting solar grade silicon again

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  Calisolar used solar grade silicon

In reporting first quarter financial results, metals specialist Timminco, noted that it had rebranded its solar grade silicon operations as ‘Timminco Solar’ and was executing a strategic marketing effort to communicate to PV manufacturers its ‘value proposition’ for the product. Timminco management said that the firm had shipped 135MT of solar grade silicon from inventory in the first four months of the year with 63MT alone shipped in April, 2011.

"We have rebranded our solar grade silicon operations as Timminco Solar and are executing a strategic marketing effort to communicate our value proposition, which is having some success within the context of a solar energy industry that recognizes the need for a less energy intensive feedstock alternative to polysilicon to achieve lower costs and a greater "electricity payback" from the deployment of solar systems,” commented Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Timminco. “We have shipped 135 metric tons of solar grade silicon from inventory in the first four months of the year, at varying prices based upon the characteristics of the material, which is already significantly higher than the volume of solar grade silicon shipped for all of 2009 and 2010. Our short term objective continues to be to achieve a customer base that will support the restart of our solar grade silicon operations."

Solar grade silicon net revenues in 1Q11 were CAD$2.2 million, compared to CAD$0.1 million in 1Q10, which related to sales of inventories produced in 2009, some of which was further processed at the ingoting facility in Bécancour, Québec.