Upheavals in the Chinese Polysilicon Market May Lead to Further Solar PV Cost Reductions

Renewable Energy News Article

The standard states that any new solar polysilicon manufacturing facility must adhere to the following:

• Facilities need to have an annual production capacity of at least 3,000 tons; 
• Facilities may not be situated within 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) of any nature reserve, headwater areas or major residential areas; 
• The electricity consumption of the solar-grade polysilicon reduction must be less than 80kWh/kg and further reduced to lower than 60kwh/kg by the end of 2011 
• The recycle rate of silicon tetrachloride, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen in the reduction tail gas shall be not less than 98.5 percent, 99 percent and 99 percent, respectively. 

Finally, solar polysilicon production lines whose integrated electricity consumption is higher than 200kWh/kg must be eliminated by the end of 2011.