L R AS Published on Monday 11 May 2020 - n° 321 - Categories:the prices
Prices in the production chain on May 6
The prices of the 6th of May :
The trend according to EnergyTrend Demand in China and abroad is gradually increasing. High efficiency panels remain the first choice of the market.
The trend according to PV InfoLink : prices stabilised after May 1st. Three manufacturers of the multi-Si stopped for maintenance, which may reduce stocks, but this does not mean an improvement in demand.
Silicon :
According to EnergyTrend The recovery has had an impact on the entire supply chain. Silicon prices have shown signs of slowing their decline.
According to PV InfoLink The price of silicon varied little, remaining at 62 RMB for mono-Si and 38 RMB for multi-Si. The price of mono-Si will not change much as producers are delivering orders received after the April drop. Production of multi-Si has often been stopped and holidays have even been extended, reducing stocks. There have been almost no orders this week for multi-Si
Silicon for abroad was around $7.3 / kg for mono-Si and $5.8 / kg for multi-Si. The number of transactions was modest. Some producers have put their furnaces on maintenance due to lower prices. Thus, in the face of weak supply, the price of foreign silicon should remain stable or even rise in the short term.
Wafers :
According to EnergyTrend prices have fluctuated less and less. Mono-Si wafers are benefiting from an upturn in the downstream sector but the oversupply remains. Everything will depend on the level of demand in the 3rd quarter. However, new production capacities are being commissioned. In order to prevent prices from plunging, increased demand and a tightening of supply would be necessary.
According to PV InfoLink Multi-Si wafer prices were low before May 1st and remained so with a downward trend, ranging between 1.10 and 1.25 RMB / piece with an average of 1.20 RMB. The closure of India is prompting multi-Si manufacturers to slow down their production.
During the pandemic, the price of mono-Si wafers was reduced twice in April. Prices for mono-Si wafers remained at 2.6 - 2.82 RMB/piece for G1, and 2.71 - 2.91 RMB/piece for M6. This stability is largely due to the fact that the Tier 1 producers remained faithful to their current prices. Mono-Si wafer prices are expected to remain stable in the short term due to the use of inventory by cell producers facing the rush for installation before the June 30 deadline in China.
Cells :
According to EnergyTrend The slight rise in prices before 1 May continued and was followed by Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers, but only to a limited extent.
According to PV InfoLink The prices of mono-Si cells for G1 and M6 formats were in line this week with their previous levels, averaging 0.79 to 0.8 RMB/W in China and $0.1/W in overseas markets. Prices for mono-Si cells had shown signs of increasing before the Labour Day break due to the rush to install before June 30. This week began to see bids concluded for high-priced cells of sizes G1 and M6, both at 0.8 to 0.81 RMB / W.
Overseas demand will take longer to recover. It may not improve much in May-June. The rush to install before June 30 will only lock in cell prices for a short period. Excess supply prevents a rebound in prices. They will fall back again after the installation boom slows.
Prices for multi-Si cells remained at 2.4 RMB / piece this week. There is little trade as India remains closed to imports.
The panels :
According to EnergyTrend orders from abroad are gradually increasing. The 30 June deadline in China is approaching and is stimulating some demand. High-yield panels, in particular, are benefiting from this increased demand, which is helping to raise their prices. Most of the orders have been concentrated with the leading manufacturers, while offers from Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers have received a lukewarm reception. Demand remains unchanged for them.
According to PV InfoLink: Chinese demand is recovering with the return of the rush for an installation before 30 June. But a slowdown in demand from foreign markets is expected in May-June. Thus, the demand has made little progress. Manufacturers of panels for the domestic market are doing relatively well, but prices continue to fall.
Prices for foreign panels were $0.2 to $0.215 / W as panel sizes and prices vary considerably depending on the market and the timing of the contract. Most panels destined for shipment overseas in the second half of this year fell to $0.195-0.205 / W.
EnergyTrend /PV InfoLink of May 6
