polysilicon

As 2023 comes to an end, PV Tech is looking back on the year in solar, reflecting on some of the biggest trends of the last 12 months.

US solar manufacturer CubicPV has signed a long-term supply agreement with South Korean-owned polysilicon producer OCIM to support its planned solar wafer manufacturing facility.

Xinjiang Daqo, the Chinese subsidiary of polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy, has signed an investment agreement to build a new silicon-based facility in China.

“Cut-throat” competition in the polysilicon production industry in 2024 could push many Chinese producers out of business, according to analysis from industry research firm Bernreuter Research.

Everything seems to be pointing to the solar PV manufacturing sector going into a downturn in 2024, with loss-making potentially rife across much of the upstream sector.

Investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has acquired a 200-hectare site to build a polysilicon manufacturing facility in Townsville, Australia.

The average price of solar-grade polysilicon has dropped from the peak of RMB240,000-250,000/tonne (US$32,856-34,191) at the beginning of the year to RMB70,000-90,000/tonne.

The year-on-year growth of production in a number of sectors, including polysilicon, wafers and modules, all approached or exceeded 80%.

By the end of 2023, PV production capacity will exceed 450GW, putting TOPCon technology first in market share in the following years.

REC Silicon has signed a supply agreement with Hanwha Qcells Georgia to supply high-purity fluidised bed reactor granular polysilicon.