L R AS Published on Saturday 29 August 2020 - n° 329 - Categories:company results
Silicon producer Wacker is gradually sinking down
The German company Wacker Chemie suffered a further drop in its silicon sales. Its sales will fall back to €152 million in the second quarter of 2020.
(-10% in the second quarter of 2019) due to weak demand and lower capacity utilisation rates. The silicon division recorded a loss of 35 million euros (net margin was negative 23% compared with 7% in the first quarter).
https://www.pv-tech.org/news/wackers-polysilicon-sales-slump-to-new-historical-low
PV Tech of 30 July
Editor's note China's desire to eliminate all global competition in the field of global photovoltaic production will claim another victim. It's only a matter of time. Indeed, the only effective response is not to lower production costs at all costs (although this is indispensable). Two reactions are possible: the first is to create an industry downstream of silicon production (the production of wafers and cells) outside China. D. Trump emphasised the production of panels on American soil, and secondly the production of cells. There is one production stage missing to save Wacker. As long as it is not set up in the US or other countries of the world, Wacker is threatened if it does not adapt with the second reaction :
The second is to follow the example of Chinese companies that have located their production units in deserts where the cost of electricity is low. For the moment, no change of industrial site has been undertaken. There is no shortage of deserts in the United States where the cost of electricity could be comparable to Xinjiang.