REC Silicon and Mississippi Silicon agreement bolsters U.S. solar supply chain

From pv magazine USA

REC Silicon and Mississippi Silicon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing the companies to negotiate a raw material supply agreement and help establish a low-carbon and fully traceable U.S.-based solar supply chain.

Mississippi Silicon is a silicon metal facility that was launched in 2015, which the company says is the first in North America in forty years. The facility produces silicon metal, a semi-conductive metalloid element that serves as a crucial component in thousands of products, from electronics to steel to solar to automotive.

“Mississippi Silicon was founded nearly ten years ago to be a domestic source of high-quality silicon metal to the US solar, electronics and chemical industries,” said Eddie Boardwine, CEO of Mississippi Silicon. “We are pleased by the growing recognition of the importance of a strong end-to-end US supply chain for these materials. Passage of the SEMA Act makes bringing that supply chain to reality. We look forward to working with REC Silicon to strengthen our existing relationship and build out that vital supply chain.”

Recent investment by the Hanwha Group into REC Silicon, in conjunction with Hanwha’s subsidiary Qcells, positions REC to expand its relationship with Mississippi Silicon, which supports the development of an end-to-end U.S. solar supply chain from raw silicon, to polysilicon, and finally fully assembled modules.

In June, REC Silicon and Ferroglobe signed an MOU with the plan to develop an end-to-end US solar supply chain from raw silicon, to polysilicon, and finally fully assembled modules. Ferroglobe is a producer of silicon metal and its alloys and it supplies critical materials for many industrial and consumer products, from silicones to solar power cells, from steel to aluminum to foundry components.

The recent Hanwha investment will enable a re-start of the currently idle Moses Lake plant in 2023 and make available high volumes of cost competitive, high quality, and low carbon solar grade polysilicon. REC Silicon has an annual production capacity of more than 20,000 MT of polysilicon from its two U.S.-based manufacturing plants in Moses Lake, Washington and Butte, Montana.

“As previously announced, REC is working hard to drive large-scale investments to develop a robust solar supply chain in the US. In line with REC’s endeavors, we applaud the efforts and determination that were needed to realize the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act,” said James A. May II, CEO of REC Silicon. We are hopeful that with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act which includes SEMA, the entire solar supply chain in the US will be fully established and placed in a position to flourish.”