Monocrystalline silicon prices ranged from 222 yuan ($32.30) per kilogram to 248 yuan per kilogram last week, up 31.37% from mid-January, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association (CNMIA) said. Longi, on the other hand, has raised its disc prices by more than 15 percent.
It said raw material prices ranged from CNY230 to CNY250 last week, noting monocrystalline silicon prices ranged between CNY222/kg and CNY248/kg, up 31.37% from mid-January. According to the organization, the average price of monocrystalline silicon has now reached 235 yuan/kg.
“After the recent Chinese New Year holiday, wafer manufacturers returned to high speed to process downstream orders. As a result, they quickly used up all the polyp they had in stock,” the CNMIA said. “This contributed to a tight supply situation and higher prices.”
The association said the recent drop in polysilicon prices is a temporary phenomenon.
“Wafer manufacturers increased their operating speeds in response to false signals, leading to a significant increase in demand for polysilicon,” said the CNMIA. “Polyp’s buyers make purchasing decisions as quickly as possible and determine the price as early as possible in an upturn, because stocks are low and the pressure on manufacturers to replenish their stocks is increasing. This will likely cause prices to continue to rise.”
The CNMIA said it expects long-term price gains in the first half of the year before a new batch of new polysilicon plants come online.
Long, has at the same time raised the prices of its disc products. The solar manufacturer is now pricing M10 p-type, 150 micrometer wafers at CNY 6.25, up 15.74%. It sells M6 wafers at CNY 5.40 each, up 18.94 percent.
“The increase in prices is mainly due to the recent increase in the price of upstream polysilicon,” Longi said in a statement. “The company’s silicon wafer prices must be adjusted according to the market.”
This is the first time this year that Longi has raised prices. Its latest price update for silicon wafers was made on December 23, 2022.
