PV industry in China relies on polysilicon imports, especially high-quality and high-purity products. Recently, thousands of tons of new polysilicon capacity have been added – or to be added – in China for both PV and integrated circuit industry.

2,500 tons of high-purity polysilicon

High-purity polysilicon is a crucial raw material for the PV and integrated circuit industry, yet China strongly relies on imports, limiting domestic development. A data revealed by Chinese media shows that China’s annual demand to high-purity polysilicon reaches 4,500 tons.

A subsidiary of state-owned Huanghe Hydropower Development Company that focusing on alternative energy industry has completed a high-purity polysilicon factory in China. The new factory will produce 2,500 tons of polysilicon per year. By using modified Siemens process, the factory will offer high-purity polysilicon that reaches purity of over 99.9999999%, the same level with advanced manufacturers in Germany and Japan.

The new factory is established by China’s policy and fund to develop high-purity polysilicon.

As for today’s PV industry, China has to purchase high-purity polysilicon from overseas companies such as OCI to make high efficiency wafers and cells.

Yongxiang to add 50,000 tons

Yongwei Group’s subsidiary, Yongxiang Company, announced to add 50,000 tone high-quality polysilicon capacity. The construction will involve in investment of RMB 8 billion and will be executed by two equivalent phases, 25,000 tons capacity each. After completion and starting commercial operation, the factory is expected to create revenue of RMB 9 billion every year.

The first phase, 25,000 tons, will break ground this month in Sichuan Province, China, and is expected to go commercial operational in 2018. Yongxiang’s new polysilicon products will be applicable for both P-type mono-si products as well as N-type products.

Yongxiang owns approximately 20,000 tons of polysilicon capacity, the newly added capacity will boost the volume to 70,000 tons, making the company one of the largest polysilicon makers.

The new capacity has already covered by an agreement signed between Yongxiang and LONGi.

Tongwei, Trina Solar and LONGi announced to co-build 5GW of mono-si ingot manufacturing capacity in Lijiang, China this January. Soon after this, Tongwei further announced to invest RMB 5 billion in expanding 4GW of high-efficiency PV cell capacity to improve its in-house cell capacity to 7.3GW.

(Photo: Yongxiang's fab. Source: Yongxiang)