Polysilicon Prices Rising Steadily in China, Will Continue in April too: Silicon China

The prices of raw silicon materials are on an unabated rise in China, signifying that the solar power projects across the world will be impacted as the solar PV manufacturing is getting dearer.

Industry body Silicon China has released the latest silicon materials’ transaction prices. Silicon China is a part of China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association and it says that the prices of polysilicon have been on the rise for the past 11 weeks consecutively and are expected to stay high even in April, 2022.

The transaction prices of monocrystalline refeeding, monocrystalline dense material and Monocrystalline “cauliflower” silicon material on March 30 show an upward trend. Even in 2021, the prices of polycrystalline silicon which is the main ingredient in monocrystalline silicon, increased by about 160%.

On March 30, monocrystalline refeeding material’s price was 0.64% higher than the previous week and was selling at RMB 246,000-254,000 per metric ton. Similarly, monocrystalline dense material was in the range of RMB 244,000-252,000 per metric ton signifying average price rise by 0.69% from the previous week.

Monocrystalline “cauliflower” silicon material was being transacted in the range of RMB 241,000-249,000 per metric ton with the average rising of price by 0.82% from the previous week. Silicon China states that polysilicon prices kept hiking for 11 weeks consecutively. The prices in the last week of March also imply that the prices of LTAs for polysilicon are expected to remain high in April as well.

Prices of solar cells, wafers and modules are expected to rise as a natural consequence of the rise in LTAs prices for polysilicon. Silicon China has also asked the manufacturers and other companies in the supply chain downstream to adjust their inventories’ strategies.

Silicon China had cautioned that the raw material supply led addition in the production capacity will be smaller in the month of April than expected. On the other hand, wafer supplies led to additional production capacity is expected to be larger than anticipated in April. It implies that rising demand for polysilicon will keep the supplies tight for the industry.