| Work Detail |
In a new weekly update for pv magazine , OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Wafer prices rose slightly this week as the dollar weakened against the Chinese yuan.
FOB China prices of Mono PERC M10 wafer increased by 0.68%, or $0.002 per piece (pc), to $0.295/pc this week, while Mono PERC G12 prices increased by 0.49%, or 0.002 dollars/pc, to 0.412 dollars/pc.
Currency fluctuations aside, the underlying dynamics in the Chinese domestic market remained unchanged, leading to a continuation of the flat trend of EXW wafer prices in the Chinese domestic market for the second consecutive week. The prices of Mono PERC M10 and G12 wafers remained stable at around 2.38 yuan ($0.33)/unit and 3.32 yuan/unit, respectively.
Lately, low exploitation rates have translated into higher manufacturing costs for wafer producers, according to one integrated manufacturer. Now that wafer inventories have come down a bit, wafer makers are willing to increase their run rates, the source continued.
There has recently been talk that wafer manufacturers will increase their production rate and purchase polysilicon at a faster rate, due to the widespread opinion in the industry that the price of polysilicon is about to bottom out. However, OPIS has learned from its market research that the exploitation rates of wafer producing companies did not increase significantly, since production costs would decrease but losses would accumulate with unsold wafers.
According to one cell supplier, stock consumption of good quality wafers has slowed as some cell producers have been purchasing reduced quality wafers. This may resonate with some downstream users who have been concerned about the impact this cost war may have on the quality of modules by 2024.
There are currently no profitable wafer companies, and some small wafer factories in China have closed, according to one market observer. Some wafer companies are looking for opportunities to set up manufacturing facilities abroad in order to survive, the source continued.
Another source agreed that wafer makers would find it difficult to turn a profit in the near future. Consequently, this source does not foresee a notable increase in the exploitation rates of wafer companies, since greater production leads to greater losses.
Looking ahead, the sectors expectations point to stable wafer prices, balanced between the weakness of demand and the stability of the cost of polysilicon and the crucible. |
