Tongwei led global polysilicon capacity in 2022, says Bernreuter Research
China-based Tongwei was the largest polysilicon producer in 2022, with around 345,000 MT of capacity last year, according to new data from Bernreuter Research.
“In view of an output of almost 160,000 MT in the second half of 2022 alone, the analyst estimates that Tongwei reached an effective production capacity of approx. 345,000 MT by the end of 2022, far above the 260,000 MT officially stated by the company,” the consultancy said in a statement.
The second largest polysilicon maker was GCL Technology, followed by Daqo, Xinte, and Wacker Chemie.
“While the top three positions in the ranking have remained unchanged compared to the previous year, Xinte Energy has relegated Germany-based Wacker Chemie from the fourth to the fifth place,” Bernreuter Research said. “Thus, all top four manufacturers are now located in China; they produced more than 100,000 MT each in 2022.”
The sixth-largest producer was China-based Asia Silicon, which has now reached an annual production capacity of 92,000 MT, followed by East Hope, which closed part of its production at one of its facilities in the Xinjiang province in June after a fire accident.
“China achieved a share of 89% in the global output of solar-grade polysilicon in 2022, and expansion continues unabated. The six largest Chinese manufacturers alone have additional capacities of roughly 1.5 million MT in the pipeline for 2023 and 2024,” the report states, stressing the dominance of the Chinese polysilicon industry. “On top of that, more than a dozen new entrants are building or ramping up new polysilicon plants in China.”
According to polysilicon analyst Johannes Bernreuter, overcapacity will be the main consequence of these expansion plans.
“Even though the potential for growth of global photovoltaic installations is enormous, it will not absorb such huge polysilicon volumes,” he stated.
*The article was updated on May 17 to reflect that Tongwei reached a capacity of 345,000 MT (not an output) by the end of 2022.
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