REC Silicon companions with Ferroglobe as US polysilicon supply chain strategies take shape

• REC Silicon will certainly bargain a raw material supply contract with silicon metal carrier Ferroglobe as part of a new cooperation in between the firms focused on building a US-based solar supply chain.

Norwegian polysilicon supplier REC Silicon stated Ferroglobe will be an essential companion in making sure a constant supply of fully deducible metallurgical grade silicon metal produced in the United States.

UK-headquartered Ferroglobe introduced last month that it has reactivated its 2nd heater at its Selma facility in Alabama, United States, taking the website's total annual silicon metal capacity to 22,000 tons.

The information follows South Korean chemical firm Hanwha Solutions increased its stake in REC Silicon to 21.34% previously this year as it wants to resume the firm's Moses Lake polysilicon facility in Washington state.

Polysilicon manufacturing utilizing fluidised bed activator technology is on track to start at the center throughout Q4 2023, ramping to full capacity throughout 2024, REC Silicon chief executive officer James Might disclosed last month.

REC stated in a press release today that Hanwha's financial investment has "triggered the incentive" to broaden REC's long-standing connection with Ferroglobe and prepare for the instant advancement of an end-to-end US solar supply chain from raw silicon to polysilicon and modules.

Polysilicon produced at Moses Lake will certainly be utilized by Hanwha Solutions' PV module producing division Qcells, which presently operates a 1.7 GW module manufacturing facility in the state of Georgia.

The memorandum of understanding between REC Silicon as well as Ferroglobe devotes the companies to work together to enhance production and employment at each of their centers.

REC stated the advancement of an end-to-end solar supply chain in the US would quickly be possible if the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America (SEMA) act were passed.

At first unveiled last year by the senator for Georgia, Jon Ossoff, and also consisted of in Joe Biden's delayed Build Back Better plan program, SEMA proposes a collection of tax obligation rewards, fulfilling manufacturers of polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells and also modules for establishing centers in the US.

"REC is devoted to driving large-scale financial investments in the United States, and also our team believe that the flow of SEMA specifically would result in the development of tens of hundreds of high-paying manufacturing work throughout the field, speeding up the United States change to clean energy," stated May.