Wacker Chemie AG plans to construct a new polysilicon production plant at its Nünchritz site (Saxony, Germany) with a nominal annual capacity of 10,000 metric tons. In its meeting today, the company’s Supervisory Board has taken a decision to this end. The first batch of polysilicon from this “capacity expansion phase 9” project is scheduled for Q1 2011. The new plant is expected to achieve full capacity by the end of 2011. WACKER has budgeted some €760 million for the project. The company has additionally decided to raise the nominal annual capacity planned for Burghausen’s “expansion phase 8” (currently under construction) from 7,000 to 10,000 metric tons. Thanks to these and other ongoing expansion measures, WACKER’s polysilicon capacity by year-end 2011 will reach 35,500 metric tons annually.

This output expansion will enable WACKER to meet the accelerating global demand it expects for hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. Already the world’s second-largest polysilicon producer, the company intends to reinforce and extend its market position in this sector. For coming years, WACKER anticipates continued double-digit annual growth in polysilicon demand by the solar industry. The company likewise expects higher polysilicon demand by the electronics industry.