Wacker Chemie AG plans to expand its polysilicon production in Burghausen by 4,500 metric tons per year to a total of 14,500 metric tons by the end of 2009. The company made this decision today. As announced earlier, expansion activities already underway are scheduled to grow WACKER’s nominal annual production capacity from the present 5,500 metric tons of polysilicon to some 10,000 metric tons from early 2008. First material for sale from the new, so-called “capacity expansion stage 7” is expected to be available in Q4 2008. The new plant is scheduled to reach full capacity by the end of 2009. WACKER has earmarked capital expenditures of around €300 million for this project.
Through this expansion, WACKER aims to meet the growing global demand for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon expected by the company. Being currently the second largest global producer of polysilicon, WACKER is striving for market leadership in this segment. WACKER sees ongoing growth of the polysilicon demand in the electronics industry in the high single digit percentage annually during the next four years and an even faster increase in demand in the rapidly developing solar sector.