China-based polysilicon producer Daqo New Energy said it had started production at its Phase 3A facility, bringing an extra 6,000MT of polysilicon capacity online and an annual production run rate of 18,000MT.
Daqo noted that the construction and installation work related to Phase 3A at its Xinjiang polysilicon plant was completed by the end of 2016 and would be fully ramped by the end of the first quarter of 2017.
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The company undertook technology upgrades and process improvements at the same time to meet demand for high-efficiency monocrystalline wafer production which requires higher purity polysilicon.
Recently, polysilicon market specialist, Bernreuter Research noted that polysilicon import levels into China surged between October and November 2016, driven by the expected wave of downstream PV installations in China before the end of June, 2017 when the FiT is expected to be revised.
Domestic production of polysilicon in China was said to have increased from from 12,600MT in October, 2016 to a new high of 18,000MT in December, according to Bernreuter.