Wacker Chemie AG will expand its production facilities for hyperpure polysilicon at its Burghausen and Nünchritz sites in Germany. WACKER’s total hyperpure-polysilicon production capacity will increase to 67,000 metric tons by 2014.
March 14, 2011 — Wacker Chemie AG will expand its production facilities for hyperpure polysilicon at its Burghausen and Nünchritz sites in Germany. By taking de-bottlenecking measures within its integrated production network, it will increase annual quantities at each site by 5,000 metric tons.
Burghausen’s annual capacity will rise from some 32,000 metric tons now to about 37,000. At Nünchritz, the polysilicon facility currently under construction and due to come on stream by year-end was to have a production capacity of around 10,000 metric tons per year. Now, its capacity is increasing to 15,000 metric tons annually. First volumes from these expansion measures are expected to be available in 2012. The debottlenecking involves investments totaling some €130 million.
WACKER is also building a new polysilicon production facility in Cleveland, TN, US, with an annual capacity of 15,000 metric tons. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
The expansion will enable WACKER to meet the continued rising global demand it expects for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. WACKER has concluded a series of high-volume, multi-year contracts that also involve advance payments by customers for future deliveries. Thus, polysilicon from ongoing production in Burghausen and originally planned capacities in Nünchritz and Tennessee are essentially under contract until 2014.
WACKER’s total hyperpure-polysilicon production capacity will increase to 67,000 metric tons by 2014. WACKER manufactured over 30,000 metric tons of hyperpure polysilicon in 2010, making it one of the top producers worldwide.
With the two polysilicon facilities currently under construction in Nünchritz and Cleveland, WACKER is strengthening its position as a leading supplier of high-quality semiconductor- and solar-grade
silicon. WACKER is a chemical company comprising WACKER SILICONES, WACKER POLYMERS, WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS, WACKER POLYSILICON, and Siltronic. Learn more at www.wacker.com
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