Polysilicon firms face survival tests Nuying Huang, Taipei; Jackie Chang, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 30 May 2012] The price of polysilicon has been falling significantly since 2011. The current spot price is around US$20-22/kg. Many Taiwan-based firms such as Motech, and AU Optronics (AUO) have been investing in the production of polysilicon but have not been able to generate profits.
The current low price of polysilicon is lower than the production costs of most polysilicon firms in the world. Despite having a parent company to provide funds, the lack of profits has become a problem. Motech recently announced a production suspension at its polysilicon subsidiary, AE Polysilicon (AEP).
AUO has been investing in Japan-based polysilicon firm M.Setek. However, due to the increasing price of electricity due to the shutdown of the nation's nuclear power plants, operating costs are likely to increase. With the current low price of polysilicon, the firm is likely to operate at a loss.
