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In a new weekly update for pv magazine , OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at key price trends in the global PV industry.
FOB China wafer prices have remained generally stable this week. Prices for Mono PERC M10 and n-type M10 wafers remained stable at $0.145/unit and $0.143/unit, respectively. Similarly, prices for Mono PERC G12 and n-type G12 wafers remained unchanged at $0.211 and $0.200/unit, respectively, compared with the previous week.
The balance between supply and demand in the wafer market is improving as manufacturers have significantly reduced their production rates over the past month. According to the Silicon Industry of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, Chinas wafer output was 44.31 GW in September, down 15.76% month-on-month.
The slow pace of operations at wafer producers is likely to continue. During Chinas Golden Week holiday in early October, some wafer makers reportedly cut production from the usual three shifts of production staff per day to just one shift.
While the industry agrees that wafer prices have likely bottomed out and have begun intermittent rallies, the challenge of raising prices is compounded by the difficulty of clearing excess capacity. If prices rise, integrated manufacturers could increase their own wafer production and reduce external purchases, weakening demand for wafers supplied from abroad. In addition, smaller fabs could take this opportunity to restart operations.
Another uncontrollable factor in clearing excess wafer production capacity is weak downstream demand. Chinas 14th Five-Year Plan aimed to achieve 1,200 GW of combined solar and wind capacity by 2030, but this target was reached in July this year, six years ahead of schedule. Experts believe that future solar installation growth may stabilise, with an expected annual growth rate of around 10% under optimistic scenarios.
In the global market, a recent hurricane in North Carolina affected a mining area producing high-purity quartz (HPQ). A confidential source reported that a major HPQ supplier temporarily halted operations last week due to power outages and infrastructure damage. While the full impact is still uncertain and considered manageable by some sources, concerns have already been raised. Disruption of HPQ supply could increase wafer costs or reduce wafer quality if lower-grade quartz substitutes are used.
OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, news, data and analysis on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG/LNG, coal, metals and chemicals, as well as renewable fuels and environmental commodities. In 2022 it acquired the pricing data assets of the Singapore Solar Exchange and now publishes the OPIS APAC Solar Weekly Report . |
