Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie said its capacity could reach around 80,000MT by 2017 as it optimises production in Germany and ramps its new plant in

Tennessee.

Strong demand for high-purity polysilicon from the PV industry has kept Wacker running its plants in Germany at full utilisation rates, despite several phases of debottlenecking and optimisation over the least few years.

Wacker said in reporting first quarter 2015 financial results that its production output at its Burghausen and Nünchritz sites in Germany would be expanded by optimizing processes already in existence, without providing expansion figures. Wacker is expecting to ramp its new 15,000MT plus polysilicon plant in the US in the second-half of 2015.

Wacker’s nearest rival is China-based GCL-Poly which has a nameplate capacity of 65,000MT and is planning the ramp of an FBR-based polysilicon plant. However, GCL-Poly does not have plans to ramp conventional Siemens polysilicon in the near future, which could result in Wacker regaining market leadership in 2017.

Financial results

Wacker’s polysilicon segment reported first quarter 2015 sales of €289.4, up almost 11% from the prior year period.

First quarter 2015 EBITDA was €78.7 million, 56% lower than a year ago when EBITA was €180.0 million, boosted by one-off long-term supply deal cancellations and penalty payments. EBITDA margin came in at 27.2%, compared to 68.7% in the prior years period and 34% in the prior quarter.

EBITDA margin was impacted by start-up costs at the new US plant, which will impact the company through the ramp phase.