- China Mono Grade, OPIS’ assessment for polysilicon prices in the country, was assessed at CNY60.67 ($8.52)/kg, up CNY0.67/kg from the previous week amid a pick-up in buying sentiment ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday – the first price increase in the solar value chain’s raw material this year.
February and some March delivery cargoes have been restocked in the past few weeks. Most market participants are expecting little market activity for the rest of February, with the Chinese market remaining shut amid the festivities.
Polysilicon supply has been increasing month-on-month, and the new capacities expected to come online in March will add to supply pressures in the Chinese market, a market participant said. These include Hoshine Silicon’s 100,000 MT Phase 1 polysilicon plant and Xinyi Glass’ 100,000 MT polysilicon plant, the market participant added.
N-type polysilicon prices gained for a third consecutive week, averaging at CNY71.9/kg, up CNY1/kg week-on-week, according to data from the Silicon Industry of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
N-type polysilicon prices have risen recently due to supply shortages as n-type polysilicon inventories were insufficient to meet demand from the n-type wafer segment, a market veteran said. P-type polysilicon prices have also gained, on denser and better-quality p-type polysilicon being able to be used in n-type production, the veteran added.
January polysilicon production is expected to reach 170,000 MT, according to data from the Silicon Industry of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
Author: OPIS
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, news, data, and analysis on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG/NGL, coal, metals, and chemicals, as well as renewable fuels and environmental commodities. It acquired pricing data assets from Singapore Solar Exchange in 2022 and now publishes the OPIS APAC Solar Weekly Report.
