Silicon China, a branch of China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association, released the latest transaction prices for silicon materials (polysilicon materials) used in the manufacturing of PV products on March 30. They were as follows:
The transaction prices of the monocrystalline refeeding material were the range of RMB 246,000-254,000 per metric ton on March 30, with the average rising by 0.64% from the previous week to RMB 249,800 per metric ton. The transaction prices of the monocrystalline dense material were in the range of RMB 244,000-252,000 per metric ton on March 30, with the average rising by 0.69% from the previous week to RMB 247,500 per metric ton. The transaction prices of the monocrystalline “cauliflower” silicon material were in the range of RMB 241,000-249,000 per metric ton on March 30, with the average rising by 0.82% from the previous week to RMB 244,800 per metric ton.
As of the date of the announcement, polysilicon prices on the whole had been climbing for 11 consecutive weeks. The week-to-week hikes for the highest transaction prices reached as much as RMB 1,000 per metric ton. The week-to-week hikes for the lowest transaction prices reached around RMB 3,000-4,000 per metric ton. Since it was the last week of March, periodical contract negotiations were indicating that prices of LTAs for polysilicon will stay at high levels in April. This also means that there is a strong chance of a fresh round of price hikes for wafers, cells, and modules in the future. China Silicon recommends that companies in the downstream sections of the supply chain adjust their inventory strategies accordingly.
It is also worth noting that the industry association had earlier reported that the additional production capacity that will be activated by Chinese polysilicon suppliers in April will be smaller than initially expected. Conversely, the the additional production capacity that will be activated by Chinese wafer suppliers in April will be larger than initially. Hence, polysilicon supply on the whole will be rather tight going forward due to robust demand. The industry association also told local news outlets that a major Chinese polysilicon supplier will implement a two-month-long facility maintenance program in April. This action will certainly tighten supply further.