Timminco will restart the second of its three electric arc furnaces at its Becancour Silicon facilities in Quebec, to fulfill renewed demand for silicon metal used in solar-grade or upgraded metallurgical silicon (UMSi).
The resumption of arc furnace operations will result in the recall of a portion of the unionized workforce which was temporarily laid off earlier in the year, the company said. As reported by PV-Tech in July, Timminco cited weak customer demand as the reason for cutting back production to one purification line and reducing its headcount.