Wafer slurry recycling specialist, SiC Processing has been forced to react to the shifting manufacturing environment from Europe to China. With the closure and reduction in capacity at REC’s wafer operations in Heroya and Glomfjord, Norway, SIC Processing has made the decision to permanently close parts of its production facilities for multicrystalline wafers. Although REC is still producing wafers – high enough volumes are not economically viable to operate the recycling plants completely, leading to partial closure of operations.
In Germany, SiC Processing has started short-time work restrictions at its Bautzen facility due to weak demand, affecting approximately 100 employees, according to the company.
In contrast, SiC Processing reiterated that it had recently opened the first of 6 production lines at its new site in Zhenjiang in China, in November 2011.
However, the company noted that overcapacity and weak demand would lead to the new facility being underutilized. SiC Processing’s production Line 2 was said to be going through commissioning, while Line 3 would be completed at the end of December 2011. In total, the 6 production lines in Zhenjiang, would provide approximately 90,000 tons of annual capacity available at that location by end of 2012 for the recycling of used sawing suspension.
