Aker Horizons ASA has agreed to sell its remaining shares in Norwegian polysilicon REC Silicon to South Korean chemical company Hanwha Solutions Corporation in what Aker has said is a “major step in rebuilding the US solar supply chain”.
Hanwha Solutions Corporation has agreed to buy a 16.67% stake in Norwegian polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon in a deal worth around US$160 million, with the South Korean chemical company looking to reopen REC Silicon’s 20,000MT polysilicon factory in the US
REC Silicon said it is continuing to work towards a restart of operations at its Moses Lake polysilicon production facility in the US, with the company buoyed by recent policy initiatives unveiled by US President Joe Biden.
European polysilicon provider REC Silicon has pinned hopes on plans to develop an ultra-low carbon solar PV value chain amidst a strengthening polysilicon market, stating it is confident that it will restart production at its Moses Lake facility.
US-based high-efficiency n-type monocrystalline Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) PV manufacturing start-up Violet Power has insisted its plans to develop manufacturing capacity in the US remain on track despite the collapse of its strategic alliance with REC Silicon.
Polysilicon producer REC Silicon has surprisingly terminated it supply chain partnership with US PV manufacturing start-up Violet Power, claiming it would best serve its shareholders by focusing on doing business with “established, proven, active and relevant solar supply chain partners”.
Coming out of stealth-mode, US-based integrated PV panel manufacturing start-up, Violet Power intends to disrupt the PV industry with in-house production of high-efficiency IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact) solar cells. The company will use cell-to-module ‘flex circuit’ and thermal plastic encapsulant technology in a glass/glass configuration that will have a solar panel warranty of 50 years, more than three times the average in the industry, today.
Phase 1 agreement sees China accept taking in greater volumes of US poly exports as part of broader loosening of trade tensions, which PV reps hope will lead to scale-back of solar tariffs.
Interviewed by this publication, James May says things are not as dire as they seem for the firm as it mulls a factory sale to stave off trade war impacts.
Escalating US-China trade tensions have seen polysilicon manufacturer record slump in profits, with one facility halted and another now facing potential exit.
